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 staff at the kids club keeps children engaged with treasure hunts, piñata making, and beach walks. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025

With 90% of dialogue in English, the production required extensive table readings to help the multilingual cast internalize their roles. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025

With over 10,000 stores located across 19 countries, the development of Walmart's online translation services stands to benefit an increasingly international user base, improving accessibility for non-English and multilingual shoppers in both the U.S. and abroad. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025

Broadening Access To Care Some AI scribes now offer multilingual capabilities, and broader language support is on the horizon. —Rakhee Langer, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1