monolingual

adjective

mono·​lin·​gual ˌmä-nə-ˈliŋ-gwəl How to pronounce monolingual (audio)
ˌmō-,
-ˈliŋ-gyə-wəl
: having or using only one language
monolingual noun

Examples of monolingual in a Sentence

He regrets being monolingual and wishes he were bilingual.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The monolingual Lithuanian participants also showed a color category effect, whereas the monolingual Norwegians didn’t, suggesting that those using a language with two words for blue were able to define the different shades quicker than those using a language with only one. New Atlas, 25 July 2024 And Peso Pluma represents my cousin — a monolingual Spanish speaker born and raised in Mexico who doesn’t have many ties to the United States. Natalie Arroyo Camacho, refinery29.com, 5 Mar. 2024 It’s reinforced by linguistic isolation, which outside Montreal often produces an inward-turning monolingual culture, and in Montreal an outward-turning bilingual one. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 The researchers compared these adults with a group of monolingual French speakers. Madeleine Schwartz Soneela Nankani Tanya Pérez Brian St. Pierre, New York Times, 14 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for monolingual 

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of monolingual was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near monolingual

Cite this Entry

“Monolingual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monolingual. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on monolingual

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!