lingua franca

play

noun lin·gua fran·ca \ ˈliŋ-gwə-ˈfraŋ-kə \

Definition of lingua franca

plural lingua francas or linguae francae play \ˈliŋ-gwē-ˈfraŋ-(ˌ)kē\

1 often capitalized :a common language consisting of Italian mixed with French, Spanish, Greek, and Arabic that was formerly spoken in Mediterranean ports

2 :any of various languages used as common or commercial tongues among peoples of diverse speech

English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.

3 :something resembling a common language

movies are the lingua franca of the twentieth century
—Gore Vidal

See lingua franca defined for English-language learners

Examples of lingua franca in a Sentence

English is used as a lingua franca among many airline pilots.

Did You Know?

In the Middle Ages, the Arabs of the eastern Mediterranean referred to all Europeans as Franks (the name of the tribe that once occupied the land we call France). Since there was plenty of Arab-European trade, the traders in the Mediterranean ports eventually developed a trading language combining Italian, Arabic, and other languages, which almost everyone could more or less understand, and it became known as the "Frankish language", or lingua franca. Some languages actually succeed in becoming lingua francas without changing much. So, when the Roman empire became vast and mighty, Latin became the important lingua franca; and at a meeting between Japanese and Vietnamese businesspeople today, English may well be the only language spoken.