monoglot

American  

[mon-uh-glot] / ˈmɒn əˌglɒt /

adjective

1. knowing only one language; monolingual.

   monoglot travelers.

2. composed in only one language.

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noun

1. a person with a knowledge of only one language.

monoglot British  

/ ˈmɒnəʊˌɡlɒt /

adjective

1. having command of a single language

2. written in, composed of, or containing a single language

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noun

1. a person with command of a single language

Usage

What does monoglot mean? A monoglot is someone who can only speak or understand one language. Monoglot can also be used as an adjective to describe someone who can speak or understand only one language. It can also mean written in, spoken in, or involving only one language. A more common word for both of these adjective senses is monolingual, which is often used in contrast with terms like bilingual (able to speak two languages), trilingual (able to speak three languages), and multilingual (able to speak more than two and especially several languages). Example: One of my great regrets is being a monoglot and not learning another language when I was younger.

Etymology

Origin of monoglot

First recorded in 1820–30; mono- + -glot