multilingual

adjective

mul·​ti·​lin·​gual ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwəl 

-ˈliŋ-gyə-wəl, 

-ˌtī-

1

: of, having, or expressed in several languages

a multilingual sign

multilingual dictionaries

2

: using or able to use several languages especially with equal fluency

multilingual translators

multilingualism

ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwə-ˌli-zəm 

-gyə-wə-, 

-ˌtī-

noun

multilingually

ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwə-lē 

-gyə-wə-lē, 

-ˌtī-

adverb

Did you know?

The roots of multilingual come from Latin. If you happen to prefer Greek, use the synonym polyglot, in which poly- has the same meaning as multi-, and -glot means the same thing as -lingual. The best way to become multilingual is probably to be born in a bilingual (two-language) household; learning those first two seems to give the mind the kind of exercise that makes later language-learning easy.

Examples of multilingual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The multilingual avatar can advise on what to do when your bank certificates of deposit are maturing, for example, or how to manage your children’s college fund. —Meg Short, Fortune, 7 June 2026

In particular, expanded Spanish-language marketing and multilingual communication strategies are an important competitive advantage both for the World Cup and beyond. —Hunter Kim, The Conversation, 3 June 2026

During pilot deployments at Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc, the robot operated in challenging outdoor conditions, utilizing multilingual speech capabilities, natural language interaction, and real-time environmental awareness to engage with visitors and respond to questions. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026

The district plans to increase the number of patrol officers enforcing the rules and will deploy multilingual staff who speak English, Chinese and Korean. —Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1