linguist

noun lin·guist \ ˈliŋ-gwist \

Updated on: 25 May 2018

Definition of linguist

1 : a person accomplished in languages; especially : one who speaks several languages

2 : a person who specializes in linguistics

See linguist defined for English-language learners

See linguist defined for kids

Recent Examples of linguist from the Web

The researchers don’t have to necessarily be geneticists—the company has already had one-off collaborations with anthropologists, linguists, even the odd econometrician to add a spit-gathering component to their projects.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "23andMe Goes Global In Its Data-Mining Efforts," 18 May 2018
University of Edinburgh linguist Bob Ladd isn’t so sure that that the finding will solve what is commonly referred to as the cocktail party problem.

— catherine matacic, Science | AAAS, "If you listen closely, the drumbeats of Amazonian tribes sound like human speech," 24 Apr. 2018
She was romantically involved with photographer Boris Smelov, poet Viktor Krivulin and linguist Melvar Melkumyan.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Found: 30,000 Photographs by the ‘Russian Vivian Maier’," 20 Mar. 2018
Amy Adams has never been better as a linguist tasked with making first contact with aliens whose mysterious language holds the key to vital information about the future of the planet.

— tom philip, GQ, "Hulu Might Be the Best Movie Streaming Website," 3 May 2018
Earlier this year, a forensic linguist shed new light on letters supposedly written by the murderer during the killing spree that sent shockwaves through Victorian London.

— james rogers, Fox News, "Chilling 'I am Jack the Ripper' postcard resurfaces," 26 Apr. 2018
The linguist reluctantly left for another village, south of the Peruvian border.

— catherine matacic, Science | AAAS, "If you listen closely, the drumbeats of Amazonian tribes sound like human speech," 24 Apr. 2018
Previous recipients include Jane Goodall, the British primatologist; Noam Chomsky, the American linguist and political activist; Renzo Piano, the Italian architect; and Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese film director.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Kyoto Prize increased to almost $1 million," 12 Apr. 2018
These results are not the first to challenge the traditional premise among linguists that language evolution is largely immune to external factors.

— anne pycha, Scientific American, "Why Click Speech Is Rare," 1 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'linguist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of linguist

Latin lingua language, tongue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1591

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

LINGUIST Defined for English Language Learners

linguist

noun

Definition of linguist for English Language Learners

: a person who speaks several languages
: a person who studies linguistics

LINGUIST Defined for Kids

linguist

noun lin·guist \ ˈliŋ-gwist \

Definition of linguist for Students

1 : a person skilled in languages

2 : a person who specializes in the study of human speech

Learn More about linguist

Spanish Central: Translation of linguist Nglish: Translation of linguist for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of linguist for Arabic speakers

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linguist

Definition of linguist

Recent Examples of linguist from the Web

Origin and Etymology of linguist

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

LINGUIST Defined for English Language Learners

linguist

Definition of linguist for English Language Learners

LINGUIST Defined for Kids

linguist

Definition of linguist for Students

Learn More about linguist

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