global

adjective

glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving the entire world : worldwide
a global system of communication
global economic problems
global warfare
see also global village, global warming
b
: of or relating to a spherical celestial body (such as the moon)
For the Moon, the early formation of global crust was accompanied and succeeded for several hundred million years by a massive influx of projectiles …James W. Head
2
: of, relating to, or applying to a whole (such as a mathematical function or a computer program) : universal
a global search of a file
Global search and replace can be harnessed to make this correction throughout the file almost instantaneously.Shay Addams
3
of a medical condition : being particularly severe or encompassing in nature : having or exhibiting a broad or nearly complete effect
… West suffered a stroke that left him with global aphasia: an inability to produce words or to understand words spoken to him.Alison McCulloch
The two other cases presented with milder characteristics, displaying global developmental delay and seizures.The Albany (Georgia) Herald
4
: having the shape of a globe : spherical
a global mass
globally adverb

Examples of global in a Sentence

English is becoming a global language. The program allows users to do global searches through all the available data.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pair are on opposite ends of the global conversation about gender and trans rights: Pascal, the brother of trans actress Lux, is a pro-trans advocate while Rowling has long espoused anti-trans views. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025 The company is already heavily reliant on France and the United Kingdom, which make up over 50% of its global exports market over the last eight years, according to global trade data from Panjiva. Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 The move rocked both the global trading system and the markets at home. The Hill Staff, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025 Sally Lorimer is a principal at ZS, a global professional-services firm. Prabhakant Sinha, Harvard Business Review, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for global

Word History

Etymology

see globe entry 1

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of global was in 1637

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Global.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/global. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

global

adjective
glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
2
: worldwide
global war
3
: of, relating to, or applying to the whole of something (as a computer program)
a global search through the data
globally adverb

Medical Definition

global

adjective
glob·​al ˈglō-bəl How to pronounce global (audio)
1
: having the shape of a globe
2
a
: of, relating to, or involving the entire world
global health conditions
b
: of, relating to, or involving the globe of the eye
global anesthesia in cataract surgery
3
of a medical condition : being particularly severe or encompassing in nature : having or exhibiting a broad or nearly complete effect
… West suffered a stroke that left him with global aphasia: an inability to produce words or to understand words spoken to him.Alison McCulloch
4
a
: being comprehensive, all-inclusive, or complete
global obstetric care
transient global amnesia
Akinesia was global, although rigidity and dystonia were strikingly unilateral in distribution.Oliver Sacks
b
: of, relating to, or constituting an organic whole : organismic
… the newer psychiatry seeks to understand in a global way the dynamic structure of the patient's personality …Psychological Abstracts
globally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on global

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