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

But the pope’s multicultural and multilingual identity has put them at ease. —Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, 8 May 2025

According to the 2023 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 31% of Connecticut’s fourth graders are reading at or above proficiency levels—underscoring a statewide literacy crisis that is especially pronounced in low-income and multilingual communities. —Ken Barela, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2025

In 1945, Yugoslavia seized the multinational and multilingual city of Trieste and its surroundings. —G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025

This multilingual update significantly expands the tool's utility for educational, professional, and personal knowledge management. —Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1