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 Departments look for bilingual recruits in Puerto Rico Police departments in several states including Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee have announced plans to attract more Spanish-speaking officers through recruiting in Puerto Rico. USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 What sets Community Tax apart from others on our list is their ability to offer bilingual support both online and through their representatives. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 The principal is calling on the state for more funding, especially for bilingual staff. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Legend quickly leveraged his connections to the Latin music world to forge a bilingual kinship with Mafe. USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 There are six books in this series, all of which have bilingual settings and can alternate between English and Spanish or English and Chinese. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 Today, Dunmore describes herself as a creative, writer, poet and bilingual communications specialist. Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2024 In Bea’s house, for example, the bilingual family members infuse their vocabulary with Spanish words. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 There’s even an in-between world where bilingual Mexicans and Spanish-speaking expats happily share the same neighborhoods. Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bilingual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near bilingual

Cite this Entry

“Bilingual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bilingual. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
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