multinational

adjective

mul·​ti·​na·​tion·​al ˌməl-tē-ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce multinational (audio)
-ˌtī-
Synonyms of multinationalnext
1
: of or relating to more than two nationalities
a multinational society
2
a
: of, relating to, or involving more than two nations
a multinational alliance
b
: having divisions in more than two countries
a multinational corporation
multinational noun

Synonyms of multinational

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Examples of multinational in a Sentence

multinational efforts to negotiate a lasting peace in the region
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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.
What is needed instead is a single, sustained multinational effort to secure both waterways that combines American military capabilities with the imprimatur of a unified coalition of Asian, European, and Middle Eastern countries. — Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026 On a per-capita GDP basis, the country is the fourth wealthiest in the world at $126,177, trailing only Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Ireland, which has seen its economic data inflated by multinational companies domiciling there for tax purposes. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026 From that foothold, Pérez built Grupo Emco Holding, a multinational conglomerate spanning mining, airports, energy and logistics. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 The option of turning to large multinational oil companies quickly stalled. — Cate Brown, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for multinational

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of multinational was in 1854

Rhymes for multinational

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Browse Nearby Words

multination
multinational
multinationalism
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Cite this Entry

“Multinational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multinational. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

multinational

1 of 2 adjective
mul·​ti·​na·​tion·​al
ˌməl-ti-ˈnash-nəl, 
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or involving more than two nations
2
: having divisions in more than two countries

multinational

2 of 2 noun
: a multinational corporation
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