globalization

noun

glob·​al·​i·​za·​tion ˌglō-bə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

: the act or process of globalizing : the state of being globalized

especially : the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets

Globalization brought with it elongated supply chains, as manufacturing and production were moved across oceans and continents.

—Mary Hui

Much of globalization's appeal came from the cheap labor offered in manufacturing hubs like China and Vietnam. Companies moved production abroad, and lower labor costs kept prices low for all kinds of goods.

—Ben Winck

Free-trade proponents argue there are always winners and losers in globalization, but overall, gains outweigh losses. … That "everyone's better off" argument, though, rang hollow among Rust Belt workers left behind in globalization …

—Kristina Johnson and Samuel Fromartz

Examples of globalization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The globalization of denim fandom will also change its culture. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 Feb. 2026

Then China joined the World Trade Organization, and globalization spurred another round of job losses, causing even more permanent damage. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026

This is not nostalgia for globalization. —Alan H.h. Fleischmann, Time, 13 Feb. 2026

The last significant update to the Immigration and Naturalization Act came in 1996, before the internet, globalization and social media transformed world economies and provoked new patterns of migration. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see globe entry 1

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing globalization

• anti-globalization

Rhymes for globalization

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration