Multinational

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A corporation or organization that operates in multiple countries simultaneously, with facilities and business activities spanning across different nations
2. An entity that conducts business or operates in several countries at the same time, with its various locations engaging in diverse activities across national boundaries
3. A company or organization that has branches or operations in various nations, facilitating international trade and commerce through its global presence

Etymology: "Multinational" is a plain compound: the prefix "multi-", from Latin "multus" meaning "much" or "many," joined to "national." Nothing about it is a coinage with a famous author or a dramatic shift of sense; its meaning stays close to its parts. The Latin "multus" descends from an ancient root shared with many words for abundance and number across the Indo-European family, and it reached English through the combining form "multi-," which English speakers use freely to build words like "multimedia" and "multicultural." The prefix passed into English with Latin-derived vocabulary, so the "multi-" half is older than the modern sense of the whole word. "National" supplies the other half. Put together, the compound describes something spanning many nations, and the word's most common use today is for businesses that operate across several countries. The meaning followed the commercial world's growth, so the word's sense reflects the activities of companies more than any change in the parts themselves.

Synonyms: global, international

Antonyms: domestic, local