linguist

noun

lin·​guist ˈliŋ-gwist 

1

: a person accomplished in languages

especially : one who speaks several languages

2

: a person who specializes in linguistics

Examples of linguist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its successor script, Linea B, was also a mystery until it was deciphered in 1952 by an amateur linguist and cryptographer Michael Ventris with the help of classicist John Chadwick, both building on patterns in the script first identified by classicist Alice Kober. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Babbel lessons were designed with a human approach by a team of over 100 expert linguists. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 21 June 2026

As a cognitive scientist and linguist, a lot of my research training is about symbols and about the construction of identity in that way. —Stephanie Shih june 17, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

But more variations of Austronesian languages have been identified in Taiwan, accompanied with more intricate grammatical structures and expansive vocabularies, which has provided insights for linguists. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from New Latin linguista, from Latin lingua "tongue, speech, language" + -ista -ist entry 1 — more at tongue entry 1

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

linguist

noun

lin·​guist ˈliŋ-gwəst 

1

: a person skilled in languages

2

: a person who specializes in linguistics