Esperanto

American  

[es-puh-rahn-toh, -ran-] / ˌɛs pəˈrɑn toʊ, -ˈræn- /

noun

1. an artificial language invented in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917), a Polish physician and philologist, and intended for international use. It is based on word roots common to the major European languages.

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Esperanto British  

/ ˌɛspəˈræntəʊ /

noun

1. an international artificial language based on words common to the chief European languages, invented in 1887

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Other Word Forms

• Esperantism
  noun
• Esperantist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Esperanto

1890–95; originally pseudonym of inventor; literally, the hoping one. See esperance

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Esperanto

Within a single page Mr. Hahn can hop from Esperanto to Turkish to Hindi.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

You can find traces of it in the world-conquering Esperanto of computer coding and in the algorithms behind artificial intelligence.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2023

But Bakewell sees the dream of a universal language, and Zamenhof’s less well-known effort to create a universal religion called “Homaranismo” — Esperanto for “humanism” — as connected with the centuries-long humanist project.

From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2023

That last tweet originally gave the defense secretary's last name as "Esperanto," sparking no end of humor on social media.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2019

As Groucho Marx said, “Love flies out the door when money comes innuendo,” and it’s hard to imagine him saying it in Esperanto.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner