international relations

noun

plural in form but singular in construction
: a branch of political science concerned with relations between nations and primarily with foreign policies

Examples of international relations in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Think about how international relations work. — Kaustubh Phatak, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 The phrase is everywhere in international relations circles, but the explanation is almost nowhere. — Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 In a city best known for politics and international relations, perhaps the greatest ambassadors of all are the famous giant pandas, cared for by zookeepers like Mariel Lally. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026 Sail 250 has brought foreign militaries to the United States amid a volatile period for the country's international relations. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for international relations

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of international relations was in 1914

Rhymes for international relations

See All Rhymes for international relations

Browse Nearby Words

international private law
international relations
international salute
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“International relations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/international%20relations. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on international relations

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about international relations

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All