international relations

noun

plural in form but singular in construction
: a branch of political science concerned with relations between nations and primarily with foreign policies

Examples of international relations in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Since then, the notion that international relations should promote great-power dominance, not universal values or networks of allies, has spread from Moscow to Washington. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026 Maduro’s fall raises uncomfortable questions for Taipei and other small states betting their autonomy on Great Power backing, says Chong Ja Ian, professor of international relations at the National University of Singapore. Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026 Karen Alter, an international relations professor at Northwestern University, concurred with this position. Dana Kozlov, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026 In contemporary international relations, security is not just something countries seek for themselves. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for international relations

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of international relations was in 1914

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Cite this Entry

“International relations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/international%20relations. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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