linguist

play

noun lin·guist \ ˈliŋ-gwist \

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 decoders of a real alien message from afar ... may not necessarily need to be astrophysicists or linguists.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "How the Internet Deciphered a Fake Alien Message," 17 July 2017
Winner was a linguist while in the US Air Force from 2010 to 2016 and speaks Farsi, Dari and Pashto, her mother, Billie Winner-Davis, has said.

— faith holland and steve almasy, CNN, "Trial of accused leaker Reality Winner set for October," 27 June 2017
Amy Adams riveted audiences with performances in Arrival, as the linguist Dr. Louise Banks, and in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, as Susan, an art gallerist disillusioned by her life choices.

— krista smith, VanityFair.com, "Behind the Scenes of Vanity Fair’s 2017 Hollywood Issue," 19 June 2017
The former Air Force linguist, who speaks Arabic and Farsi, is accused of copying and mailing a classified report containing top-secret material to an online news organization, according to prosecutors.

— Fox News, "Reality Winner: Accused leaker wanted to 'burn the White House down'," 9 June 2017
When a linguist valiantly attempts to preserve a dying language in a small Mexican village, his obsessive dedication kicks up volatile emotions between two elderly men who used to be youthful friends.

— randy myers, The Mercury News, "Frameline: 10 don’t-miss films at SF’s LGBTQ film fest," 8 June 2017
The 25-year-old former U.S. Air Force linguist was charged on June 5 with providing the online publication, The Intercept, with a top-secret document that detailed Russian hacking efforts in the days before the 2016 election.

— joe schneider, Bloomberg.com, "How the U.S. Deals With People Who Leak Secrets: QuickTake Q&A," 6 June 2017
Winner, a former Air Force linguist, faces up to 10 years in prison for leaking classified information.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Body of missing 12-year-old, Naomi Jones, found in Pensacola," 5 June 2017
But as writer Nick Douglas recently highlighted in Lifehacker, linguists have another explanation for uptalk, one that positions it not as a verbal tic, but as a valuable tool of communication.

— cari romm, The Cut, "The Real Purpose of Uptalk Is to Get You to Shut Up and Listen," 5 June 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

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

play

noun

Definition of linguist for English Language Learners

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

LINGUIST Defined for Kids

linguist

play

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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Definition of linguist for Students

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