multinational
adj. · n.-
1 business/corporate (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediateoperating or having offices and factories in many different countries.
operating, or having subsidiary branches and assets, in multiple sovereign states. Often used to describe large corporations.
ExampleShe works for a large multinational bank with offices in London, Tokyo, and New York.
ExampleThe multinational corporation faced significant regulatory hurdles while attempting to harmonise its employment contracts across three different continents.
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2 political/social (adj.) C1 Advanced Academic Formalinvolving or including people from several different nations.
relating to, or involving, more than two nations or ethnic groups within a single political framework.
ExampleThe peacekeeping force was a multinational effort to bring peace to the region.
ExampleThe summit aimed to establish a multinational agreement on carbon emissions, requiring cooperation between both developed and developing economies.
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3 a large company (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea very large company that does business in many countries.
a large commercial organisation with operations and subsidiaries in multiple countries. Often used in economic critiques or business reporting.
ExampleMany multinationals are moving their headquarters to cities with lower taxes.
ExampleEconomists argue that large multinationals often wield more political influence than the smaller nations in which they operate.
From multi- + national.