bilingual

adjective

bi·​lin·​gual (ˌ)bī-ˈliŋ-gwəl How to pronounce bilingual (audio)
 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
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.
Some bilingual readers will understand every word in The Crossing and simply enjoy the cadences of both languages. Rachel Ashcroft july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025 Over the years, its network helped increase reporting of immigration arrests, created a streamlined process to document human rights violations, and grown its roster of bilingual volunteers-responding to urgent needs. Victoria Ivie, Oc Register, 4 July 2025 The Spanish and English bilingual movie is about a Mexican drug kingpin who decides to retire by faking death and transitioning from male to female while dealing with an angry widow played by acting and music superstar Selena Gomez and an attorney played by Zoe Saldańa. David Plazas, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Per the logline, the bilingual sports docuseries will chronicle a turbulent, transformational time marked by staff shakeups, career-defining injuries and the relentless grit of a football team determined to defy expectations and deliver hope to its city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bilingual

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bilingual was in 1819

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bilingual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bilingual. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

bilingual

adjective
bi·​lin·​gual (ˌ)bī-ˈliŋ-g(yə-)wəl How to pronounce bilingual (audio)
1
: of, expressed in, or using two languages
a bilingual dictionary
2
: able to use two languages especially with fluency

More from Merriam-Webster on bilingual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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