bilingual

[ bahy-ling-gwuhl or, Canadian, -ling-gyoo-uhl ]

adjective
  1. able to speak two languages with the facility of a native speaker.

  2. spoken, written, or containing similar information in two different languages: a bilingual dictionary; Public notices at the embassy are bilingual.

  1. of, involving, or using two languages: a bilingual community; bilingual schools.

noun
  1. a bilingual person.

Origin of bilingual

1
1835–45; <Latin bilingu(is) (bi-bi-1 + lingu-, stem of lingua tongue + -is adj. suffix) + -al1

Other words from bilingual

  • bi·lin·gual·ly, adverb

Words Nearby bilingual

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bilingual in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bilingual

bilingual

/ (baɪˈlɪŋɡwəl) /


adjective
  1. able to speak two languages, esp with fluency

  2. written or expressed in two languages

noun
  1. a bilingual person

Derived forms of bilingual

  • bilingualism, noun
  • bilingually, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012