✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

unilingual

adjective

uni·​lin·​gual ˌyü-ni-ˈliŋ-gwəl How to pronounce unilingual (audio)
-gyə-wəl
: composed in or using one language only

Word History

Etymology

uni- + Latin lingua tongue, language — more at tongue

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unilingual was in 1866

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unilingual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unilingual. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!