multinational

multinational — adjective

1. involving operations or activities that take place across several different coun

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

involving operations or activities that take place across several different countries — for example, a multinational corporation with factories on different continents or a multinational peacekeeping force with troops from many nations.

Example

The multinational peacekeeping force included soldiers from twelve different countries.

multinational + noun: peacekeeping force / corporation

Yuki's marketing team worked on a multinational campaign that covered seven countries across three continents.

Common collocations
  • multinational corporation
  • multinational company
  • multinational force
  • multinational agreement
  • multinational project
  • multinational team
  • multinational campaign
  • multinational trade
  • multinational research
  • multinational enterprise
Synonyms
  • international

    broader term — any cross-border activity, not just operations in multiple countries

  • global

    suggests worldwide reach rather than simply several countries; stronger emphasis on planet-wide scale

  • transnational

    slightly more formal and academic; emphasises activity that crosses or transcends national borders

Antonyms
  • domestic

    limited to a single country's internal affairs

  • local

    restricted to a particular town, city, or region

Grammar Patterns

multinational + noun

Usage Note

Frequently appears before nouns such as corporation, company, force, agreement, or project. Unlike 'international,' which can describe any cross-border activity, 'multinational' implies concrete operations or presence in several countries simultaneously.

Common Mistakes

She works for a multinational.' (when meaning a cross-border team, not a company).
She works on a multinational team.
As a noun, 'multinational' refers only to a company, not a person or group.

multinational — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four adjectives all describe activity that crosses national borders, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'International' is the broadest term and can refer to any exchange, relationship, or event between two or more nations — a friendly football match can be international. 'Global' suggests worldwide reach and is used for issues or systems that affect the entire planet, such as global warming or the global economy. 'Multinational' is more concrete: it implies that an organization physically operates in several countries at once, with offices, factories, or staff on the ground. A global brand may be recognised everywhere; a multinational company has employees in many nations. 'Transnational' is a more academic or legal term that stresses activities transcending national boundaries rather than simply crossing them — for example, transnational crime networks operate across borders without being anchored to one home country. In everyday business writing, 'multinational' is by far the most common choice for companies with a multi-country footprint. For example: 'Unilever is a multinational with factories in over 60 countries,' not 'Unilever is an international with factories...' (incorrect word class).

international ↗global ↗transnationalmultinational ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • operate in multiple countries
  • have a presence in several countries
  • span across national borders

Prepositions

  • across (several / many / multiple countries)
  • in (many countries)
  • between (nations / countries)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by combining the prefix 'multi-' (from Latin 'multus', meaning 'many') with 'national' (from Latin 'natio', meaning 'birth' or 'nation'). The adjective came into use in the early 20th century, first appearing in political contexts to describe alliances or agreements involving several nations. After World War II, as corporations expanded their operations across borders, the word became closely associated with global business. The noun form, short for 'multinational corporation,' gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s alongside the rise of major international companies.