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

According to a news release, the 87.6% rate was 1.8 percentage points greater than the 2022-23 school year, with the largest increases coming from Hispanic students and multilingual learners. —Carson Swick, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2025

In multicultural cities like Toronto and Montreal, AI systems offer a distinct advantage with their multilingual capabilities, enabling smoother communication with diverse clientele and enhancing the overall customer experience. —Karl Moore, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Title 3 funds programming for multilingual learners. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2025

These fully customizable, multilingual chatbots are capable of instantly addressing over 90% of customer inquiries in 94 languages. —Jason Phillips, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1