internationalisation

IPA/ˌɪntənˌaʃənəlaɪzˈeɪʃən/
IPA/ˌɪntɚnˌæʃənələzˈeɪʃən/

internationalisation — noun

1. the process by which a company, organisation, or activity expands to operate or

1.nounC1
Definition

the process by which a company, organisation, or activity expands to operate or be recognised in several countries rather than only one

Example

The Watanabe Corporation's internationalisation began with a single office in Singapore.

possessive subject: [entity]'s internationalisation

Professor Adebayo published a study on the internationalisation of West African universities.

collocation: internationalisation of [institution]

Common collocations
  • drive internationalisation
  • promote internationalisation
  • internationalisation strategy
  • internationalisation process
  • accelerate internationalisation
  • undergo internationalisation
Synonyms
  • globalisation

    broader term; refers to worldwide economic and cultural integration rather than a single entity's expansion

  • standardisation

    more specific; focuses on making products or processes uniform across markets

  • liberalisation

    related concept; refers to removing trade barriers to allow international activity

  • harmonisation

    more specific; focuses on aligning regulations or standards across countries

Antonyms
  • localisation

    adapting products or operations to suit a single local market rather than expanding globally

  • isolationism

    a political or economic policy of avoiding involvement with other countries

Usage Note

Typically followed by 'of' + noun phrase specifying the entity being expanded (e.g., internationalisation of the curriculum, internationalisation of trade). Frequently collocates with verbs such as 'drive', 'promote', 'undergo', and 'accelerate'. The -sation spelling is standard in British English; the -ization variant is common in American English.

Common Mistakes

The internationalisation of the company narrowed its focus to one country.
The internationalisation of the company helped it reach customers in over twenty countries.
Internationalisation implies expansion across borders, not contraction.
Internationalisation and globalisation mean exactly the same thing.
Internationalisation describes a single entity expanding across borders, while globalisation refers to the broader integration of world economies.
The two terms are related but not interchangeable.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four terms describe aspects of cross-border activity, internationalisation is narrower than globalisation: it refers to a specific company, institution, or product expanding into multiple countries, whereas globalisation describes the large-scale economic and cultural integration of world markets. Standardisation is more operational — making products or processes uniform across markets (e.g., USB charger standards). Harmonisation focuses on aligning regulations or practices between countries (e.g., EU data protection laws). Liberalisation concerns the removal of government-imposed trade barriers. In practice, internationalisation often requires elements of all three: a firm entering foreign markets may standardise its packaging, harmonise with local regulations, and benefit from trade liberalisation.

globalisation ↗standardisation ↗harmonisation ↗liberalisation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • drive internationalisation
  • promote internationalisation
  • accelerate internationalisation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word combines 'international', meaning 'between nations', with the suffix '-isation', which turns verbs into nouns naming a process or result. 'International' itself was coined by the legal philosopher Jeremy Bentham in 1780, from Latin inter- ('between') and natio ('nation'). The '-isation' suffix came into English via French from Latin -izatio. The word first appeared in the early 20th century as internationalisation grew from a political concept into a business and education strategy.