Meaning & use
multinational company
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Meanings
nouncountable
A large business that operates in several countries, with offices, factories, or sales in more than one nation.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a multinational company' for one, and 'multinational companies' for more than one.
Patterns
- work for a multinational company
- a multinational company based in
- set up a multinational company
Toyota is a multinational company with factories in many parts of the world.
She got a job at a multinational company that sells soft drinks everywhere.
The government is trying to attract multinational companies to invest in the region.
nouncountabledisapproving
A company that has its main office in one country but does business in many others, often seen as powerful and sometimes criticized for its influence.
Grammar: Same as above; often used in news and political discussions about global business.
Patterns
- criticize multinational companies
- multinational companies dominate the market
Some people argue that multinational companies have too much power over local governments.
The report accused multinational companies of avoiding taxes in poorer countries.
Word forms
| plural | multinational companies |
|---|
Common combinations
- multinational company based in
- The multinational company based in Japan opened a new branch in Brazil.
- work for a multinational company
- He works for a multinational company and travels abroad every month.
- large multinational company
- A large multinational company bought the small local firm.
- multinational company operates in
- This multinational company operates in over fifty countries.
Synonyms and how they differ
- transnational corporation
- Similar meaning, but more formal and often used in academic or legal writing; 'multinational company' is the everyday term.
- global company
- Focuses on worldwide reach; a multinational company may operate in several countries without being truly global in every market.
- international company
- Broader term that can include smaller firms doing business abroad; 'multinational company' usually suggests a very large organization with operations in many countries.
Word family
- multinational adjective
- Operating in several countries; e.g., 'a multinational corporation'.
- multinational noun
- A multinational company; informal shortening.
Commonly confused: multinational company or international company?
multinational company vs international company
An international company simply does business across borders, while a multinational company has a more complex structure with operations in multiple countries.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'multinational company' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A multinational company operates in several countries, so 'offices in five countries' fits. Option 2 contradicts 'multinational' with 'very small', option 3 limits it to one town, and option 4 is impossible for any company.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “multinational company”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.