multinational
UK: ˌmʌltiˈnæʃənəl | US: ˌmʌltiˈnæʃənəl
adj. involving or operating in several nations or nationalities
n. a company or organization operating in several countries
The word "multinational" combines the Latin-derived prefix "multi-" (meaning "many") with "nation" (from Latin "natio," meaning "birth" or "people") and the suffix "-al" (forming adjectives). It emerged in the early 20th century to describe entities spanning multiple countries, reflecting globalization trends. The morphemes logically align: "multi-" quantifies scope, "nation" specifies the domain, and "-al" categorizes the term as descriptive.
The multinational corporation has offices in over 50 countries.
She works for a multinational bank that serves clients worldwide.
Multinational agreements aim to reduce trade barriers between nations.
The team includes employees from diverse multinational backgrounds.
Environmental policies require multinational cooperation to be effective.