Internationality, or the international, is the concept of something involving more than a single
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and may suggest
interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries. For example,
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
, which is applied by more than one
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and usually everywhere on
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
, and
international languages spoken by residents of more than one country. "International" is therefore also sometimes used as a synonym for "global".
As the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
noted in its ''Yearbook of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law'':
Origin of the word

The term ''international'' is of relatively recent vintage compared to much of the
English language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
. It was coined by the
utilitarian
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that lead to the ...
philosopher
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
in his ''
An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
''An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation'' is a book by the English philosopher and legal theorist Jeremy Bentham "originally printed in 1780, and first published in 1789." Bentham's "most important theoretical work," it is ...
'', which was printed for publication in 1780 and published in 1789, with Bentham writing: "The word ''international'', it must be acknowledged, is a new one; though, it is hoped, sufficiently analogous and intelligible. It is calculated to express, in a more significant way, the branch of law which goes commonly under the name of the ''
law of nations
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of rules, norms, legal customs and standards that states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generally do, obey in their mutual relations. In in ...
''.
[Jonathan Rée,]
Internationality
, ''Radical Philosophy
''Radical Philosophy'' is a triannual peer-reviewed academic journal of critical theory and philosophy. It was established in 1972 with the purpose of providing a forum for the theoretical work which was emerging in the wake of the radical movemen ...
'', No. 60 (Spring 1992). The word was adopted in French in 1801.
Thomas Erskine Holland noted in his article on Bentham in the 11th edition of the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
'' that "Many of Bentham's phrases, such as 'international,' 'utilitarian,' 'codification,' are valuable additions to our language; but the majority of them, especially those of Greek derivation, have taken no root in it." In 1825, James Douglas of Cavero used the noun form when he wrote that "
Influence, highly favourable to the Grecian States, consisted in their Internationality".
Internationality in politics and law
Theories of internationality have been proposed by academics including
Jonathan Rée and
Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw (born 21 January 1945) is an English actor. He came to national recognition in the role of Ray Doyle in ITV crime-action television drama series '' The Professionals'' (1977–1983). Further notable television parts include the ti ...
, each of whom propose internationality as a fundamental force shaping modern history and politics, emphasizing its deep entanglement with the formation and function of nation-states. Both argue that national identity does not develop in isolation, but is instead embedded within international structures, shaping and being shaped by transnational political, economic, and ideological currents.
[Martin Shaw, "The Problem of Nationality and Internationality", in ''Theory of the Global State'' (2000).] Both characterize internationality as an historically persistent reality that underlies the evolution of governance, institutions, and cultural identity. Rée critiques nationalism as obscuring international interconnectedness,
while Shaw focuses on the national-international structure as a central organizing principle in state-society relations.
They differ in that Rée treats nationalism as a largely ideological framework that imposes artificial divisions on a fundamentally international history, whereas Shaw sees the national-international relationship as a structural tension that has historically defined modern governance. Shaw states that:
The phrase, "The International", is often used to refer to a
political international
A political international is a transnational organization of political parties having similar ideology or political orientation (e.g. liberalism, socialism, Islamism). The international works together on points of agreement to co-ordinate activ ...
, specifically meaning a
transnational organization Transnational organization is a term used in scholarly literature. It refers to international organizations (usually, international nongovernmental organizations) that "transcend" the idea of a nation-state.
The distinction between an internationa ...
of
political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
having similar
ideology
An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...
or political orientation (e.g.
communism
Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
,
socialism
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
, and
Islamism
Islamism is a range of religious and political ideological movements that believe that Islam should influence political systems. Its proponents believe Islam is innately political, and that Islam as a political system is superior to communism ...
).
The international works together on points of agreement to co-ordinate activity. An
international organization
An international organization, also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is an organization that is established by a treaty or other type of instrument governed by international law and possesses its own le ...
(also known as an "international institution" or an "
intergovernmental organization
Globalization is social change associated with increased connectivity among societies and their elements and the explosive evolution of transportation and telecommunication technologies to facilitate international cultural and economic exchange. ...
") is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states and other actors in the international system. Organizations may be established by a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
or be an instrument governed by
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
and possessing its own legal personality, such as the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
.
International law, also known as the law of nations and international ethics, is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between
nation
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...
s.
It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for states across a broad range of domains, including war, diplomacy, trade, and human rights. International law aims to promote the practice of stable, consistent, and organized international relations.
Public international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
and
international criminal law
International criminal law (ICL) is a body of public international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetrat ...
are particularly important areas.
The
sources of international law
International law, also known as "law of nations", refers to the body of rules which regulate the conduct of sovereign states in their relations with one another. Sources of international law include treaties, international customs, general wi ...
include
international custom (general state practice accepted as law),
treaties
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
, and general principles of law recognized by most national legal systems. International law may also be reflected in
international comity
In law, comity is "a principle or practice among political entities such as countries, states, or courts of different jurisdictions, whereby legislative, executive, and judicial acts are mutually recognized." It is an informal and non-mandatory co ...
, the practices and customs adopted by states to maintain good relations and mutual recognition, such as saluting the flag of a foreign ship or
enforcing a foreign legal judgment. International law differs from state-based
legal system
A legal system is a set of legal norms and institutions and processes by which those norms are applied, often within a particular jurisdiction or community. It may also be referred to as a legal order. The comparative study of legal systems is th ...
s in that it is primarily—though not exclusively—applicable to countries, rather than to individuals, and operates largely through consent, since there is no universally accepted authority to enforce it upon
sovereign states
A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that Sovereignty#Sovereignty and independence, a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the ter ...
. Consequently, states may choose to not abide by international law, and even to break a treaty.
Internationality in other fields
Internationality is also of concern to the arts and sciences. With respect to
academic publishing
Academic publishing is the subfield of publishing which distributes Research, academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in academic journal articles, books or Thesis, theses. The part of academic written output that is n ...
, internationality has been raised as an issue, with researchers proposing composite indices to systematically quantify the extent to which journals engage contributors, editors, and readership across multiple nations. Another source notes that: "Internationality is, of course, an important attribute for artistic producers, with the world both as playing field and exhibition location".
In linguistics, an international language, or
world language
A world language (sometimes called a global language or, rarely, an international language) is a language that is geographically widespread and makes it possible for members of different language communities to communicate. The term may also be use ...
, is one spoken by the people of more than one nation.
English,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
,
French and
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
are considered to be world languages. In
interlinguistics
Interlinguistics, also known as cosmoglottics,
is the science of planned languages that has existed for more than a century. Formalised by Otto Jespersen in 1931 as the science of interlanguages, in more recent times, the field has been more fo ...
, international often has to do with languages rather than nations themselves. An
international word is one that occurs in more than one language. These words are collected from widely spoken source or control languages, and often used to establish language systems that people can use to communicate internationally, and sometimes for other purposes such as to learn other languages more quickly. The vocabulary of
Interlingua
Interlingua (, ) is an international auxiliary language (IAL) developed between 1937 and 1951 by the American International Auxiliary Language Association (IALA). It is a constructed language of the "naturalistic" variety, whose vocabulary, ...
has a particularly wide range, because the
control languages of Interlingua were selected to give its words and affixes their maximum geographic scope.
[ Gode, Alexander, '' Interlingua: A Grammar of the International Language.'' New York: Frederick Ungar, 1951.] In part, the language
Ido
Ido () is a constructed language derived from a reformed version of Esperanto, and designed similarly with the goal of being a universal second language for people of diverse languages. To function as an effective ''international auxiliary ...
is also a product of interlinguistic research.
The concept of internationality in language has been explored in literary studies as a framework for understanding how texts transcend national and linguistic boundaries, as seen in professor Michael Saenger's ''Interlinguicity, Internationality, and Shakespeare'' (2015), which examines how Shakespeare's works reflect and engage with multiple languages and cultures beyond England.
Saenger writes that internationality takes the interlinguistic concept of people speaking multiple languages in a city and extends it to the idea of nations, noting that "the Renaissance plays so often begin in foreign places, and those introductory scenes often lead to still more and more new locations. That mobility was a key pleasure that the theater sold, and it meant that audiences could never be sure precisely where they were". This iteration of internationality "could be seen as a pervasive characteristic of early modern social space, made particularly evident in the theater".
See also
*
Globalization
Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...
*
International community
The international community is a term used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world.
Usage
Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is typically used to imply the ...
*
International relations
International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
*
International (disambiguation)
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
*
Internationalism (disambiguation)
Internationalism may refer to:
* Cosmopolitanism, the view that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality as opposed to communitarianism, patriotism and nationalism
* International Style, a major architectura ...
*
Multilateralism
In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...
*
Multinational corporation
A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...
*
Multinational state
A multinational state or a multinational union is a sovereign entity that comprises two or more nations or states. This contrasts with a nation state, where a single nation accounts for the bulk of the population. Depending on the definition of ...
*
Supranational union
A supranational union is a type of international organization and political union that is empowered to directly exercise some of the powers and functions otherwise reserved to State (polity), states. A supranational organization involves a g ...
*
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
*
World community
The term world community is used primarily in politics, political and humanitarianism, humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meaning ...
References
External links
Meaning of internationalo
The Free DictionaryMeaning of international on
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
dictionary
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...
Meaning of internationalon
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
dictionary
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...
.
Sources
*{{cite book, last= Ankerl , first= Guy , title= Global communication without universal civilization , year= 2000 , series= INU societal research , volume= 1: Coexisting contemporary civilizations : Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western , publisher= INU Press , location= Geneva , isbn= 978-2-88155-004-1 , pages=
International law
International sports
International relations