Globalisation

noun (mass/uncountable)

/ˌɡləʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/

The process by which businesses, economies, and cultures become increasingly interconnected and interdependent on an international scale through trade, investment, technology, and the movement of people.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

While globalisation has lifted millions out of poverty by integrating India into global value chains, its uneven dividends have widened regional disparities, making inclusive growth and social safety nets an imperative rather than an afterthought.

Synonyms

internationalisationintegrationinterconnectionworldwide integrationtransnationalisationcosmopolitanisation

Antonyms

localisationdeglobalisationisolationismprotectionism

🌱 Word Family

globalise (v), globalised (adj), global (adj), globalism (n), globalist (n/adj), globalising (v pres.p)

🔡 Root

Latin globus = sphere + -al + -isation = process; modelled on French globalisation (1904)

📜 Etymology

From global (from Latin globus, "sphere") + -isation; modelled on French globalisation (1904); popularised as an economic term in the 1980s.

🧠 Memory Hook

"GLOBE" sits at the heart of the word: globalisation makes the whole globe one interconnected marketplace, as if the entire planet were shrunk into a single village.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Mains 2021 · GS3 · 10 marks — Internal Security
Mains 2020 · GS1 · 15 marks — Indian Society
Mains 2018 · GS1 · 15 marks — Indian Society
Mains 2016 · GS1 · 12.5 marks — Indian Society

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Globalisation” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: 1991 Economic Reforms & Liberalisation

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