The 34-year-old right-back has penned a two-year contract at the Stadium of Light following the expiry of his Lille deal, having racked up in excess of 550 club appearances and 83 caps for Belgium.
Meunier won three league titles at Paris St-Germain and has also represented Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund and Trabzonspor, while he featured for Belgium at this summer's World Cup. Yet the veteran insists it was Sunderland's direction of travel, rather than his own CV, that sealed the move.
"I'm here today because I believe in the project," he told the club's website. "I saw the squad last season, the results and the quality. I think we can achieve at least the same season as last year.
"I'm a competitive guy. I always play with ambition, I live with ambition and all my life I've been playing European football.
"When I got the call from Sunderland asking me to be part of the project, of course it's the Premier League - it's even bigger than European football. But with the Europa League next to it, and for the first time in 50 years, I was attracted directly. So, I didn't hesitate."
The Black Cats will compete in the Europa League next season after last term's outstanding seventh-place finish, and Meunier's arrival represents a first piece of incoming business in a window that has already seen forward Eliezer Mayenda and midfielder Dan Neil depart Wearside.
Director of football Florent Ghisolfi believes the Belgian's pedigree will lift the entire dressing room.
"We are delighted to welcome Thomas to Sunderland AFC – from the moment we started speaking, we felt he had a very positive feeling about the club," he said.
"He brings a wealth of experience, leadership and professionalism, alongside real quality in both defensive and attacking phases of the game.
"Thomas is a player who understands what it takes to compete for success, and we're confident his mentality and character will have a positive influence on the squad.
"We believe he'll make an important contribution on and off the pitch, and we're excited to see him begin this new chapter with us. It feels like a great fit."