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

Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “La Cocina,” about the multilingual culture clash in the kitchen of a New York City restaurant starring Raúl Briones and Rooney Mara, premiered earlier in the year at Berlin.

From Los Angeles Times

“I was — I don’t want to say surprised, because it sounds like I wasn’t expecting him to do well — but it’s not something you expect from this guy who just made you laugh for years,” said Yu, who sees a connection between Yang’s multilingual, multicultural background and his natural facility for acting.

From Los Angeles Times

Finnie: She had to be like multilingual, multicultured and then had to fight.

From Los Angeles Times

Multilingual, literate, with a head for figures and a talent for innovation — and arguably the series’ smartest person — she has followed her kidnapped children to Rome in hopes of bringing them home.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Seattle Times