internationalize

verb

in·​ter·​na·​tion·​al·​ize ˌin-tər-ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlīz 

internationalized; internationalizing; internationalizes

transitive verb

: to make international

also : to place under international control

a proposal to internationalize the city

internationalization

ˌin-tər-ˌna-sh(ə-)nə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Examples of internationalize in a Sentence

a business that has begun to internationalize

Recent Examples on the Web

Petrodollars were a major reason why the greenback internationalized in the 1970s and the decades thereafter, as much of the income received by oil exporters was deposited in dollar accounts at banks around the world, primarily in Europe. —Paul Blustein, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026

The television broadcasts internationalized Cortina's fame. —Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026

The fact that neither film won anything is a reminder of the Academy’s cultural myopia: for all its efforts to diversify and internationalize its voting membership, the organization seems largely oblivious to the finest, most vital work being done by filmmakers outside of America. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026

King's last words to him were about the need to institutionalize and internationalize the nonviolence movement. —CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for internationalize

• operationalize
• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize

Kids Definition

internationalize

verb

in·​ter·​na·​tion·​al·​ize -ˈnash-nəl-ˌīz 

-ən-ᵊl-

: to make international

internationalized the airport

internationalization

-ˌnash-nəl-ə-ˈzā-shən 

-ən-ᵊl-

noun