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

This dark, multilingual comedy is infused with an absurdist theatricality and features wickedly good performances. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

Expanding Multilingual Capabilities European companies can unlock new revenue channels by supporting customers in English, French and Spanish without hiring multilingual staff. —Leonard Martin Schmedding, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Xiao He, an AI humanoid robot, was present at the two-day event to help journalists by offering multilingual support. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025

Hermest's multilingual coordinators assist patients visiting from Europe, the Middle East, and the US, and the clinic is committed to being transparent with its pricing and hidden costs. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1