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

Tidalwave’s tech is directly integrated with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, automates the evaluation of mortgage documents, and provides real-time, multilingual feedback to borrowers. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025

Gemini also utilizes multilingual reasoning, allowing users to create art in multiple languages or translate their own content. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

Limestone turtles etched with lunar calendars and multilingual tree markers honor these communities. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2025

The company has also completed acquisition of a $97 million intellectual property portfolio, adding films, music and multilingual digital content to its catalog. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1