Intercontinental

Intercontinental is an adjective used to describe something that involves, connects, or spans more than one continent. The word combines the prefix inter- meaning between or among with continental, referring to the continents. In practice, intercontinental describes relationships, movements, or events that cross continental boundaries.

Common uses include intercontinental travel, such as long-haul flights or shipments that move between continents, intercontinental trade, and intercontinental sports or cultural exchanges that feature participants from multiple continents. In military terminology, intercontinental is used to denote capabilities that can reach across continents, notably intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have ranges typically exceeding several thousand kilometers.

Intercontinental is also encountered as a proper noun in branding. InterContinental is the name of a global luxury hotel brand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, which is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). The stylized capitalization highlights the brand’s continental reach and international presence.

Historical usage of the term reflects the growth of global connectivity, including early intercontinental commercial routes and later globalization-driven cross-continental commerce, travel, and diplomacy. The phrase remains common in discussions of international relations, aviation, and logistics, where cross-continental scope is a defining characteristic.

Etymology: inter- from Latin meaning between; continental from late Latin continens, relating to continents. See also: transcontinental, ballistic missile, international.