transnational

American  

[trans-nash-uh-nl, tranz-, -nash-nl] / trænsˈnæʃ ə nl, trænz-, -ˈnæʃ nl /

adjective

1. going beyond national boundaries or interests.

   a transnational economy.

2. comprising persons, sponsors, etc., of different nationalities.

   a transnational company.

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noun

1. a company, organization, etc., representing two or more nationalities.

transnational British  

/ trænzˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

1. extending beyond the boundaries, interests, etc, of a single nation

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Other Word Forms

• transnationalism noun
• transnationally adverb

Etymology

Origin of transnational

First recorded in 1920–25; trans- + national

Explanation

A transnational company operates in more than one country. A transnational chain of coffee shops, for example, might have cafes in the United States, England, Spain, and China. Use the adjective transnational to describe companies, policies, languages, or anything else that exists in several nations at the same time. A transnational human rights law could affect every developed country in the world, for instance. Another way to say transnational is international or multinational. The definition of the Latin prefix trans, however, gives a clear clue to the word's meaning: "across, beyond, or to go beyond."

Example Sentences

Cambodia’s information ministry said the government was committed to rooting out transnational criminal networks operating from within its borders, but declined to comment on the sanctions against Kok An.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

MS-13 is a transnational gang which was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US last year.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Naindeep Singh, executive director of the Jakara Movement, a prominent Sikh advocacy group based in California, described transnational extortion gangs as being active in the state for some time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Scams have become a "mainstay" of modern crime and are "increasingly difficult to investigate because of their transnational nature", said Jeffery Chin, deputy director at the police Scam Public Education Office.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

“Other attacks on American soil were by nations; this is the first transnational terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.”

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes