Etymologically
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multinational

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 06:23. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌmʌltiˈnæʃ(ə)n(ə)l/[1]
  • US: /ˌmʌltiˈnæʃ(ə)n(ə)l/, /ˌmʌltaɪˈnæʃ(ə)n(ə)l/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English multi- + national.[2][3][4][5] The OED compares binational, international, multiracial and transnational.[2] The South African sense follows the Afrikaans word veelvolkig (“consisting of many peoples”), in which volk means both "people" and "nation".[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Involving or consisting of several countries or nationalities: 1854, in the New-York Daily Times.[2][5] Etymonline finds it by 1921, "comprising or pertaining to many nations",[3] the Shorter Oxford dates it to the early 20th century,[4] and Dictionary.com to 1925–30.[7]

Semantic evolution

At first the word was used of states and peoples; from about 1960 it was applied to companies and organizations operating in several countries.[3][4] The phrase multinational corporation is attested by 1956,[3] and the noun multinational, short for it, from 1968 in the OED and Merriam-Webster, or 1971 according to Etymonline.[2][5][3] In South Africa, from 1964, the word described the country as made up of several ethnic groups, each regarded as a separate "nation"; the DSAE notes that it was often used to justify apartheid and met much resistance.[2][6]

Timeline

  • 1854 – relating to several countries or nationalities.[2][5]
  • 1956 – multinational corporation.[3]
  • 1960 – of companies and organizations.[3]
  • 1964 – South African, made up of several ethnic groups.[2][6]
  • 1968 – noun, a multinational company.[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a large company: operating in several countries.[8][5][2]
  2. Involving or made up of several nations or nationalities: a multinational peacekeeping force.[5][2][4]
  3. (South Africa) Made up of several ethnic groups, each regarded as a separate nation.[2][6]

Noun

  1. A large company that operates in several countries: She left the bank to work for a multinational.[8][5][2]

Word family

  • multinationalism
  • multinationally

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles, Dictionary Unit for South African English, https://dsae.co.za
  7. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins