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

Hispanic students saw their graduation rate rise over 7 percentage points from 2023 to 2024, while multilingual learners experienced a dramatic increase of over 10%. —Erin Sjostedt, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025

Romania Recognized for its strong tech sector and multilingual workforce, Romania has been attracting nearshoring investments. —Nuno Godinho, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Whether the multilingual, piano-playing Harvard alumnus and Rhodes Scholar’s sort of technocratic expertise is what Democrats want in 2028 is an open question. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025

The Boston School Committee passed a $1.58 billion budget proposal Thursday night in a 6-1 vote – committing to funding priorities like inclusive education, multilingual programming and long-term facilities planning in the 2025-26 school year. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1