second language
noun
: a language that is learned in addition to the language a person first learned as a young child
Examples of second language in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seventy-five per cent of English speakers speak it as a second language.
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman, who is of Somali descent, told ABC News in an interview last Wednesday that locations for English as a second language courses, places of worship and homes have been targeted.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025
Kind of like learning a second language.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
More than 30% of those students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, the dashboard indicated, and 10% speak English as a second language.
—Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second language
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Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman, who is of Somali descent, told ABC News in an interview last Wednesday that locations for English as a second language courses, places of worship and homes have been targeted.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025
Kind of like learning a second language.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
More than 30% of those students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, the dashboard indicated, and 10% speak English as a second language.
—Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second language
Cite this Entry
“Second language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20language. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
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