polyglot
Americanadjective
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able to speak or write several languages; multilingual.
-
containing, composed of, or written in several languages.
a polyglot Bible.
noun
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a mixture or confusion of languages.
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a person who speaks, writes, or reads a number of languages.
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a book, especially a Bible, containing the same text in several languages.
adjective
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having a command of many languages
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written in, composed of, or containing many languages
noun
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a person with a command of many languages
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a book, esp a Bible, containing several versions of the same text written in various languages
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a mixture or confusion of languages
Other Word Forms
- polyglotism noun
Etymology
Origin of polyglot
First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin polyglōttus, from Greek polýglōttos “many-tongued”; see poly-, -glot
Explanation
Ni hao! Comment allez-vous? Estoy bien, gracias. Sayōnara! If you understood everything you just read, you’re probably a polyglot — a person who understands multiple languages. There are thousands of languages spoken in the world, but you don’t need to know them all to be a polyglot. The –glot comes from the Greek word for “tongue,” and the prefix poly- means “more than one,” so if you speak two or more languages, you’re technically a polyglot. Well done! Polyglot can also be used as an adjective, like describing "a polyglot neighborhood" full of people from many different cultures or the "polyglot crowd at the Olympic games."
Vocabulary lists containing polyglot
Dracula
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Ender's Game
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In other words, a significant number of multiracial Americans will “airbrush” their polyglot lineage and instead focus on their European provenance.
From Salon • Jan. 2, 2026
Having gained a reputation for punchy phrases, the polyglot politician appears unlikely to shy away from the fight.
From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025
That now extends to about 20 countries, including Ireland and Singapore and extending to polyglot Holland and Germany.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2025
Its architecture was a polyglot of building styles — kind of like Beverly Hills — but here’s the best part: It was noir, through and through.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2024
I could hear a lot of words often repeated, queer words, for there were many nationalities in the crowd; so I quietly got my polyglot dictionary from my bag and looked them out.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
