multilingual

adjective

mul·​ti·​lin·​gual ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwəl 

-ˈliŋ-gyə-wəl,

-ˌtī-

1

: of, having, or expressed in several languages

a multilingual sign

multilingual dictionaries

2

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

multilingual translators

multilingualism

ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwə-ˌli-zəm 

-gyə-wə-

-ˌtī-

noun

multilingually

ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwə-lē 

-gyə-wə-lē

-ˌtī-

adverb

Did you know?

The roots of multilingual come from Latin. If you happen to prefer Greek, use the synonym polyglot, in which poly- has the same meaning as multi-, and -glot means the same thing as -lingual. The best way to become multilingual is probably to be born in a bilingual (two-language) household; learning those first two seems to give the mind the kind of exercise that makes later language-learning easy.

Examples of multilingual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Three of them, Pachinko, The Sympathizer, and Shōgun, have a lot in common, from historical settings and literary source material to multilingual scripts and almost entirely Asian casts, but each also has a voice all its own. —Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Dec. 2024

As Stray Kids notes, this openness to multilingual content will only encourage artists to experiment more boldly with their work and seek collaborations that will familiarize new audiences to their music. —Cecilia Ciocchetti, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2024

The need for accurate, natural, and multilingual AI voices, particularly in media, entertainment, and customer service, likely fueled his commitment to leading this innovative path. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024

Zoom in: Results were particularly impressive for Hispanic and multilingual students, who outscored their peers in IPS and across Marion County. —Arika Herron, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1