linguist

American  

[ling-gwist] / ˈlɪŋ gwɪst /

noun

1. a specialist in linguistics.

2. a person who is skilled in several languages; polyglot.

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linguist British  

/ ˈlɪŋɡwɪst /

noun

1. a person who has the capacity to learn and speak foreign languages

2. a person who studies linguistics

3. the spokesman for a chief

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Etymology

Origin of linguist

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin lingu(a) “tongue, speech” + -ist

Example Sentences

The foreign ministry said the family of linguist and researcher Dennis Coyle had written to the supreme leader of Afghanistan, asking that he be released and pardoned for Eid.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

“There’s Communications Hill featuring a tower that’s part of the history of Silicon Valley,” the speech-recognition linguist said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“I think how it’s represented in the film reflects how it’s actually used today,” said Grant Muāgututi’a, a Samoan linguist and dialect coach who worked on the movie.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2024

I'm a linguist who studies "word of mouth," or what people tell each other about their experiences.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2024

One might initially wonder how a linguist, studying only modern languages whose unwritten ancestral forms remain unknown, could ever figure out whether Austronesians living on Taiwan 6,000 years ago had pigs.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond