Relating to or involving two or more governments or governmental agencies working together. It describes cooperation, agreements, or organizations that operate between different government entities.
Formed from Latin 'inter' meaning 'between', 'govern' from Latin 'gubernare' meaning 'to steer or rule', and the suffix '-mental' indicating relationship. The term emerged in the 20th century as international cooperation became more formalized.
The rise of intergovernmental organizations like the UN, EU, and WHO represents humanity's attempt to solve problems too big for any single nation - climate change, pandemics, and global trade all require the kind of cooperation this word describes. It's diplomacy made systematic and bureaucratic.
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