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

Whys technique would be to expand the training dataset with more diverse and contextually rich examples, implement rigorous evaluation metrics that compare against human experts and involve linguists throughout the development process. —Mohammad Adnan, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

For many forensic linguists, the case is a test of the legitimacy of their emerging field. —Julia Webster Ayuso, The Dial, 21 Nov. 2024

Seiler is on the Southern California News Group editorial board and was a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army. —John Seiler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

It was written by a retired linguist and paranormal hobbyist who skeptics felt played with the truth. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024

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