international

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ter·​na·​tion·​al ˌin-tər-ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce international (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or affecting two or more nations
international trade
2
: of, relating to, or constituting a group or association having members in two or more nations
international movement
3
: active, known, or reaching beyond national boundaries
an international reputation
internationality noun
internationally adverb

international

2 of 2

noun

: one that is international
especially : an organization of international scope

Examples of international in a Sentence

Adjective an international association of chemists She has achieved international fame.
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.
Adjective
Think of something in this respect like a better passing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has averaged 14 points per game over eight years in the NBA and has also been sneaky awesome in the playoffs and big international events. Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 26 June 2025 But more than 20 years after Jeffrey Lawson's operation, an international research team found evidence that the brains of newborn premature babies react to pain stimuli in a very similar way to those of adults. Christian Wolf, Scientific American, 25 June 2025
Noun
The former Canada international arrived armed with 181 appearances for her national side and two Olympic bronze medals, but her coaching pedigree was not so well established. Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 June 2025 Asian students had the highest second fall persistence rate at 89.6%, followed by white students (82.8%), internationals (76.4%), Hispanics (73.3%), Blacks (68.9%), Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (67.2%), and Native Americans (65.9%). Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for international

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of international was in 1780

Cite this Entry

“International.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/international. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

international

1 of 2 adjective
in·​ter·​na·​tion·​al ˌint-ər-ˈnash-nəl How to pronounce international (audio)
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, affecting, or involving two or more nations
international trade
2
: active, known, or reaching beyond national boundaries
an international reputation
internationally
-ˈnash-nə-lē How to pronounce international (audio)
-ən-ᵊl-ē
adverb

international

2 of 2 noun
: an organization having branches in more than one country

More from Merriam-Webster on international

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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