trilingual
Americanadjective
adjective
-
able to speak three languages fluently
-
expressed or written in three languages
Usage
What does trilingual mean? Trilingual is most commonly used to describe someone who can speak or understand three languages, especially with some level of fluency.It can also be used to describe things that involve or that are written or spoken in three languages, as in These instructions are trilingual—they’re written in English, Spanish, and Chinese.The similar terms bilingual and multilingual are used in the same way, with bilingual indicating two languages and multilingual indicating more than two and especially several languages.The ability to speak three languages or the use of two languages is called trilingualism.Example: Being trilingual is a great advantage for many job seekers.
Other Word Forms
- trilingualism noun
- trilingually adverb
Etymology
Origin of trilingual
1825–35; < Latin trilingu ( is ) triple-tongued + -al 1. See tri-, lingual
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.
“When we’re bilingual or trilingual, our brain is always working, and we’re able to use whatever language we can express ourselves in.”
From Seattle Times
"The best-case scenario is to have a parallel text — a so-called bilingual or trilingual — that presents approximately the same meaning, but in two or three different scripts or languages," Bonmann said.
From Scientific American
The trilingual actor was born and raised in Germany before studying acting in the United States.
From Salon
American-made trilingual epic melodrama tells the story of four generations of a Korean family, first in Korea under Japanese colonial rule and then in Japan, where legal restrictions and discrimination kept them a people apart.
From Los Angeles Times
The Brazilian artist has been nothing short of phenomenal with her trilingual album “Versions of Me,” which was led by her single “Envolver.”
From Seattle Times
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.
