intercontinental

in·ter·con·tin·ent·al
UK/ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/US/ˌɪn.tɚ.kɑn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/

adjective

Taking place between two or more continents.

Similar
worldwideworld-wide
Opposite
continental
OriginEnglish continental ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Latin continens →
CommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectiveintercontinental (not comparable)
  1. not comparableTaking place between two or more continents.

    Not so much wedded as welded to their airline seats, he and his amanuensis see the cities of the future as ‘glocal’ phenomena, where high-density urban centres are air-linked to intercontinental faubourgs.

    2011, Will Self, “The frowniest spot on Earth”, in London Review of Books, XXXIII.9
  2. not comparableHaving the ability to travel between continents.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveextending or taking place between or among continents

Similar
worldwideworld-wide
Opposite
continental
Also see
transoceanicworldwide

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁n̥tér
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥ter
  4. Latininter
  5. Latininter-
  6. Englishinter-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  9. Proto-Italic*kom
  10. Proto-Italic*kom-
  11. Latincon-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*ten-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*tn̥eh₁yéti
  14. Proto-Italic*tenēō
  15. Latinteneō
  16. Latincontineō
  17. Latincontinens
  18. Englishcontinent
  19. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  20. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  21. Englishcontinental
  22. Englishintercontinental

From inter- + continental.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian междуконтинента́лен
  • междуконтинента́лен (meždukontinentálen)between two or more continents
Catalan intercontinental
  • intercontinentalbetween two or more continents
Chinese Mandarin 洲際 /洲际
  • 洲際 /洲际 (zhōujì)between two or more continents
Czech mezikontinentální
  • mezikontinentálníbetween two or more continents
Danish interkontinental
  • interkontinentalbetween two or more continents
Finnish mannertenvälinen
  • mannertenvälinenbetween two or more continents
French intercontinental
  • intercontinentalbetween two or more continents
German interkontinental
  • interkontinentalbetween two or more continents
Greek διηπειρωτικός
  • διηπειρωτικός (diipeirotikós)between two or more continents
Italian intercontinentale
  • intercontinentalebetween two or more continents
Japanese 大陸間
  • 大陸間 (tairiku kan)between two or more continents
Korean 대륙 간
  • 대륙 간 (daeryuk gan)between two or more continents
Polish międzykontynentalny
  • międzykontynentalnybetween two or more continents
Portuguese intercontinental
  • intercontinentalbetween two or more continents
Romanian intercontinental
  • intercontinentalbetween two or more continents
Russian межконтинента́льный
  • межконтинента́льный (mežkontinentálʹnyj)between two or more continents
Slovak medzikontinentálný
  • medzikontinentálnýbetween two or more continents
Spanish intercontinental
  • intercontinentalbetween two or more continents
Turkish kıtalar arası
  • kıtalar arasıbetween two or more continents
Ukrainian міжконтинента́льний
  • міжконтинента́льний (mižkontynentálʹnyj)between two or more continents
Yiddish אינטערקאָנטינענטאַל
  • אינטערקאָנטינענטאַל (interkontinental)between two or more continents
Cite this entry
APA

intercontinental. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercontinental

MLA

“intercontinental.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercontinental. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “intercontinental,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intercontinental.

Source: intercontinental on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.