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multilingual
[muhl-tee-ling-gwuhl, muhl-tahy-, -ling-gyoo-uhl]
adjective
using or able to speak several or many languages with some facility.
spoken or written in several or many languages.
a multilingual broadcast.
dealing with or involving several or many languages.
a multilingual dictionary of business terms.
noun
a multilingual person.
multilingual
/ ˌʌɪˈɪŋɡə /
adjective
able to speak more than two languages
written or expressed in more than two languages Compare bilingual monolingual
Other Word Forms
- multilingually adverb
- multilingualism noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of multilingual1
Example Sentences
A system to send multilingual alerts during natural disasters was about to be adopted until it was put on hold.
The call comes nearly five months after deadly fires in Los Angeles threatened communities with a high proportion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — some with limited English proficiency — highlighting the need for multilingual alerts.
Most cards include cryptic, sometimes multilingual bon mots written with his beloved Sumi-e brush pens.
People who speak only English “could think multilingual access is a luxury that’s responsible for the cuts in other people’s benefits.”
The multilingual library staffers who return these calls can get hundreds of them each month.
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When To Use
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.
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