biliterate

adjective

bi·​lit·​er·​ate
(ˌ)bī-ˈli-t(ə-)rət
: able to read and write two different languages
When they leave Lennox Elementary School District eight years later, more than 90% are bilingual, biliterate and, as Moffett puts it, "ready to succeed in the mainstream world of English only."Pat Ordovensky, USA Today, 16 Feb. 1994
biliteracy
(ˌ)bī-ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē
noun
A novel biliteracy program at the Sweetwater Union High School District is becoming more popular and is attracting the attention of a statewide education group that would like to see the effort expand elsewhere in California. Ashly McGlone, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2011

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biliterate was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Biliterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biliterate. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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