internationally

internationally — adverb

1. linking people, businesses, or governments from different countries across natio

1.adverbB1
Definition

linking people, businesses, or governments from different countries across national borders

Example

The art exhibition has been shown internationally, from Tokyo to Berlin.

present perfect passive: has been shown internationally

Kofi's company now operates internationally, with offices in six countries.

collocation: operate internationally

Synonyms
  • globally

    similar scope but emphasises coverage across the entire world rather than across national borders

  • worldwide

    stronger focus on every part of the earth; often used for distribution or presence

  • across borders

    more informal phrase, often used for activities that cross national boundaries

Antonyms
  • locally

    restricted to a single area or community, not involving other countries

  • domestically

    within one country's own territory, with no cross-border dimension

Usage Note

Internationally usually appears after an action verb (e.g. 'compete internationally') or before a past participle (e.g. 'internationally recognized'). It does not modify nouns directly — use the adjective 'international' before a noun instead.

Common Mistakes

She works for an internationally company.
She works for an international company.
'internationally' is an adverb and cannot modify a noun; use the adjective 'international' before nouns.

Word family

  • international
    adjectiveB1
  • internationalize
    verbC1
  • internationalization
    nounC1
  • internationalism
    nounC2
  • internationalist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All three adverbs describe a scope extending beyond a single country, but they differ in nuance. 'Internationally' emphasises relationships or activities between or among countries — their governments, organisations, or citizens. 'Globally' carries a stronger sense of covering the entire planet, often used for issues such as climate change or economic trends that affect every region. 'Worldwide' is similar to 'globally' but is more concrete when referring to physical distribution — a product sold 'worldwide' is available in shops on every continent. In practice, the three overlap heavily: 'The company competes internationally' and 'The company competes globally' are nearly interchangeable, but 'internationally' keeps the focus on cross-border dynamics, while 'globally' draws attention to the sheer scale.

globally ↗worldwide ↗internationally ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • act internationally
  • compete internationally
  • known internationally
  • operate internationally
  • recognized internationally
  • sold internationally
  • trade internationally
  • work internationally

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The adverb 'internationally' was formed in English by adding the suffix '-ly' (turning adjectives into adverbs) to 'international'. The adjective 'international' was coined around 1780 by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who combined the Latin prefix 'inter-' (between, among) with 'national' (from Latin 'natio', meaning 'birth' or 'people'). The word spread rapidly in the 19th century alongside the growth of cross-border diplomacy, trade, and travel.