multilingual

[ muhl-tee-ling-gwuhl, muhl-tahy-or, Canadian, -ling-gyoo-uhl ]

adjective

1. using or able to speak several or many languages with some facility.
2. spoken or written in several or many languages:

   a multilingual broadcast.

3. dealing with or involving several or many languages:

   a multilingual dictionary of business terms.

noun

1. a multilingual person.

multilingual

/ ˌmʌltɪˈlɪŋɡwəl /

adjective

1. able to speak more than two languages
2. written or expressed in more than two languages Compare bilingual monolingual

Other Words From

• multi·lingual·ly adverb
• multi·lingual·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of multilingual¹

First recorded in 1830–40; multi- + lingual

Example Sentences

Small pharmacies can pivot more nimbly to respond to those unique consumer needs — such as hiring multilingual staff.

From Seattle Times

In addition to current and projected student enrollment, the district will weigh the age of the building, services for multilingual learners, and special education and inclusive practices in determining which schools will close.

From Seattle Times

Alternatives should take into account the needs of Black and brown students, as well as those from the LGBTQ, immigrant, refugee, special education and multilingual communities.

From Seattle Times

She said that working with education and literacy-centered nonprofits and working on a multilingual children's book about acceptance was "my true purpose."

From Salon

“Expecting every school to be multilingual from the perspective of like 50 languages is … a tough ask,” Oliveira said.

From Seattle Times

More About Multilingual

What does multilingual mean?

Multilingual is most commonly used to describe someone who can speak or understand multiple languages, especially someone who can speak several languages with some level of fluency.

It can also be used to describe things that involve or that are written or spoken in multiple languages, as in These instructions are multilingual—they’re written in seven different languages.

Someone who speaks two languages is multilingual, but the term is most often used to describe someone who speaks more than three languages, since the term bilingual is commonly used to describe someone who speaks two languages and trilingual is used to describe someone who speaks three.

The ability to speak multiple languages or the use of multiple languages is called multilingualism.

Example: Being multilingual is a great advantage when applying for international jobs.

Where does multilingual come from?

The first records of the word multilingual come from the 1830s. It’s composed of multi-, meaning “many” or “multiple,” and lingual, which means “pertaining to languages.” Lingual shares a root with other language-related words, like linguistics and linguaphile.

Some people who are multilingual may be masters of all the languages they speak. In this case, they’re often called polyglots. But a person might be described—or describe themselves—as multilingual even if they’re not fluent in all of the languages they can speak. Most multilingual people have differing levels of fluency for each language they know.

Countries are often described as multilingual when they have two or more official or widely used languages. India, for example, is one of the most multilingual countries, with more than 20 official languages and at least 100 others, as well as hundreds of dialects.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to multilingual?

• multilingually (adverb)
• multilingualism (noun)

What are some synonyms for multilingual?

• polyglot

What are some words that share a root or word element with multilingual? 

• bilingual
• trilingual
• monolingual
• multiple

What are some words that often get used in discussing multilingual?

• several
• language
• speaker
• speak
• communication
• writing

How is multilingual used in real life?

Multilingual is most commonly used to describe people who speak more than three languages.

Is it weird to have a multilingual inner thoughts? Kadang indo, kadang inggris, even korea :)

— Syagra Jasminda ✨ (@syagrajsmnd) June 6, 2020

Very impressed with English's seafood restaurant in Brighton and its multilingual menu! pic.twitter.com/PHgpJ7W5Tx

— Grow Global (@growglobal) February 16, 2015

PSA: There is never a reason to apologize for "bad English" when contributing/discussing in OSS 😊 Software and communicating about software are not limited to English. I should be thanking you for using English 🙏

❤️s to all you multilingual people. You are the true heroes.

— Josh Holtz 💪🚀 (@joshdholtz) June 30, 2020

 

 

Try using multilingual!

Is multilingual used correctly in the following sentence?

In some places, the street signs are multilingual since there are multiple widely spoken languages.