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international affairs

international affairs

16 3.6
Matters and relations between countries about politics, trade, or diplomacy
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntərˈnæʃənl əˈfɛrz/
translation icon : asuntos internacionales
  • Are we entitled to a leadership role in international affairs, and if so, how and why?
  • international affairs budget
  • politics and international affairs
  • role in international affairs

LA appointed the first deputy mayor for international affairs.

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Examples

  • Long before the Peace of Westphalia, the Ottoman state had played an important role in Europe's international affairs.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Public disinterest in international affairs is pervasive, abetted by the drastically shrinking media coverage of foreign events.

    Academic text (1999)
  • No other country can match the United States' global reach in international affairs.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Although their function is changing, states remain important in the conduct of international affairs.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In recent years, mainland China has assumed an active role in international affairs.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Third, the discovery of oil in the region catapulted it into the limelight of international affairs.

    Academic text (1992)
  • As Conservative MPs gather in Westminster to decide who they will back in the leadership contest, the Prime Minister said she would not be diverted from critical international affairs.

  • The conference focused on issues in international affairs and their impact on global security.

  • She wrote an article discussing the role of diplomacy in international affairs between countries.

  • Many students at the university study international affairs to understand global politics.

Synonyms

world affairs
vsinternational affairs
8 3.4

Events and problems between countries that affect many people

focuses on matters between nations mainly about politics economics and diplomacy

How International

international affairs
16 3.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

international + affairs

The meaning 'matters or relations involving two or more countries' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'international' (involving countries) + 'affairs' (matters or concerns). This is a common, cross-linguistic compound pattern and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The noun international affairs comes from two simple words: international meaning 'between countries' and affairs meaning 'matters' or 'business'. Picture leaders from different countries sitting at one table to deal with shared problems, and that image shows why international affairs means matters and relations involving two or more countries.