global

adjective

glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving the entire world : worldwide
a global system of communication
global economic problems
global warfare
see also global village, global warming
b
: of or relating to a spherical celestial body (such as the moon)
For the Moon, the early formation of global crust was accompanied and succeeded for several hundred million years by a massive influx of projectiles …James W. Head
2
: of, relating to, or applying to a whole (such as a mathematical function or a computer program) : universal
a global search of a file
Global search and replace can be harnessed to make this correction throughout the file almost instantaneously.Shay Addams
3
of a medical condition : being particularly severe or encompassing in nature : having or exhibiting a broad or nearly complete effect
… West suffered a stroke that left him with global aphasia: an inability to produce words or to understand words spoken to him.Alison McCulloch
The two other cases presented with milder characteristics, displaying global developmental delay and seizures.The Albany (Georgia) Herald
4
: having the shape of a globe : spherical
a global mass
globally adverb

Example Sentences

English is becoming a global language. The program allows users to do global searches through all the available data.
Recent Examples on the Web Russia has complained that shipments of its fertilizers — which its deal was supposed to facilitate — are not getting to global markets. Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2023 The war in Ukraine sent food prices surging to record highs last year and helped contribute to a global food crisis also tied to lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate factors like drought. Karl Ritter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023 As the world recovers from the pandemic and economic downturns, entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas and strong, creative leadership will be critical to healing global market woes. Monish Darda, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 The late Friday move came as a surprise and follows a week of turmoil in global financial markets triggered by the failure of some regional US banks. Laura He, CNN, 17 Mar. 2023 The consequences of the global health crisis have impacted this production again, but this time in a positive way. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2023 The collapse was the second largest bank failure in U.S. history and is the largest collapse since Washington Mutual in 2008 during the global financial crisis. Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2023 The food system is a major contributor to climate change, and nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are tied to the global food system. Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2023 The recent retreat reflects a shift in expectations for interest rates after a pair of bank failures unnerved global markets. Gina Heeb, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'global.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

see globe entry 1

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of global was in 1637

Dictionary Entries Near global

Cite this Entry

“Global.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/global. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

global

adjective
glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
2
: worldwide
global war
3
: of, relating to, or applying to the whole of something (as a computer program)
a global search through the data
globally adverb

Medical Definition

global

adjective
glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
: having the shape of a globe
2
a
: of, relating to, or involving the entire world
global health conditions
b
: of, relating to, or involving the globe of the eye
global anesthesia in cataract surgery
3
of a medical condition : being particularly severe or encompassing in nature : having or exhibiting a broad or nearly complete effect
… West suffered a stroke that left him with global aphasia: an inability to produce words or to understand words spoken to him.Alison McCulloch
4
a
: being comprehensive, all-inclusive, or complete
global obstetric care
transient global amnesia
Akinesia was global, although rigidity and dystonia were strikingly unilateral in distribution.Oliver Sacks
b
: of, relating to, or constituting an organic whole : organismic
… the newer psychiatry seeks to understand in a global way the dynamic structure of the patient's personality …Psychological Abstracts
globally adverb

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