internationalization
/'intə,næʃnəlai'zeiʃn/
Definition
Noun: 1. The process of designing or adapting a product, service, or organization to be usable and relevant in multiple countries and cultures, without requiring significant redesign. This is the most common modern usage, especially in business and technology. 2. The act of bringing something under international control or making it international in character. This is a broader, more general definition.
Usage
The term "internationalization" describes a preparatory process. It is the foundational step taken before localization (adapting a product for a specific region). It involves removing culture-specific and language-specific elements from a design so that it can be easily adapted later.
Examples
- Business/Technology: "The internationalization of the software involved separating all text strings from the code so they could be translated."
- General: "The company's internationalization strategy focused on creating a brand identity that would resonate globally."
- Academic/Policy: "Scholars study the internationalization of higher education, including student exchange programs."
Advanced Usage
- In Computing: Often abbreviated as i18n (because there are 18 letters between the 'i' and the 'n'). It involves technical steps like using Unicode character encoding, designing user interfaces to accommodate text expansion, and ensuring date/time/currency formats are flexible.
- In Business Strategy: Refers to the process by which a company expands its operations into international markets, often involving structural and strategic changes to operate globally.
Variants and Related Words
- Internationalize (verb): To make something international.
- International (adjective): Existing, occurring, or carried on between nations.
- Localization (noun): The subsequent process of adapting an internationalized product for a specific region or language. (Often paired with internationalization as "i18n and L10n").
Synonyms
- Globalization (in a broad, economic sense)
- Adaptation for global use
Related Phrases
- Internationalization and localization (i18n & L10n): The combined, two-phase process for making a product world-ready.
- Internationalization strategy: A business plan for entering foreign markets.
Noun
-
the act of bringing something under international control
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