bilingual

adjective

bi·​lin·​gual (ˌ)bī-ˈliŋ-gwəl 

 also  -gyə-wəl

1

: having or expressed in two languages

a bilingual document

an officially bilingual nation

2

: using or able to use two languages especially with equal fluency

bilingual in English and Japanese

3

: of or relating to bilingual education

bilingual noun

bilingually adverb

Examples of bilingual in a Sentence

Several of the employees are bilingual.

He is bilingual in English and Japanese.

She grew up in a bilingual community.

The town has an excellent bilingual education program.

Recent Examples on the Web

As a proud bilingual journalist, Valdes put her skills forward to produce and report an in-depth piece on Hurricane Maria's impact to Puerto Rico. —Nicole Valdes, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025

On a Monday morning, a Fortune 500 project manager logs into her company's talent platform with an urgent request: a bilingual data analyst for a six-week market study. —John Winsor, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Arturo Conde Arturo Conde is an editor and a bilingual freelance journalist. —Arturo Conde, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2025

Hilaria touches on the media tempest surrounding her accent, reiterating that she was raised bilingual. —Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin bilinguis, from bi- + lingua tongue — more at tongue

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bilingual

• bilingual education

Rhymes for bilingual

• sublingual
• trilingual
• lingual
• monolingual

Kids Definition

bilingual

adjective

bi·​lin·​gual (ˌ)bī-ˈliŋ-g(yə-)wəl 

1

: of, expressed in, or using two languages

a bilingual dictionary

2

: able to use two languages especially with fluency