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

Trump is right to want to tame inequality, scale back some of the excesses of globalization, and secure supply chains of critical goods. — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Because manufacturing in China is so much cheaper than other countries, thanks to their poor working conditions and low wages, companies began outsourcing production to Anta, and companies like it, as globalization ramped up in recent decades. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

His remarks evoked a world on edge, beset by growing social and economic divides and the uneven effects of globalization. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Today, her work takes cues from antique phoenix-tail vases, ginger jars, flasks, and other traditional Chinese silhouettes, exploring the intersection of ceramics and globalization. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 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