monolingual

American  

[mon-uh-ling-gwuhl, -ling-gyoo-uhl] / ˌmɒn əˈlɪŋ gwəl, -ˈlɪŋ gyu əl /

adjective

1. knowing or able to use only one language; monoglot.

2. spoken or written in only one language.

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noun

1. a monolingual person.

monolingual British  

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈlɪŋɡwəl /

adjective

1. knowing or expressed in only one language

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noun

1. a monolingual person

Usage

What does monolingual mean? Monolingual is used to describe someone who can speak or understand only one language. It can also mean written in, spoken in, or involving only one language. Monolingual 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). The ability to speak or understand only one language or the regular use of only one language is called monolingualism. Example: One of my great regrets is being monolingual and not learning another language when I was younger.

Other Word Forms

• monolingualism noun

Etymology

Origin of monolingual

First recorded in 1950–55; mono- + lingual

Explanation

If you're monolingual, you speak just one language. If you are monolingual, your chances of landing a job as a translator are pretty darn slim. Your whole family might be monolingual, while your best friend comes from a family that speaks Spanish at home and English at school — in other words, they're bilingual. Being monolingual can be limiting, since you can only communicate clearly with others who speak your language. Learning new languages and becoming bilingual (or even multilingual, speaking several languages) is also good for your brain. The Greek root mono means "one," and the Latin lingua means "tongue" or "language."

Example Sentences

When the monolingual video condolence was released, Mr. Carney said he was “very disappointed” and accused Mr. Rousseau of lacking judgment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

While many nations had previously defined themselves by a shared language, Americans came to see English not just as the national language, but monolingual English as part of their identity.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026

Among the affected are monolingual speakers of Spanish, Chinese, Mandarin and Mixteco as well as foragers who may confuse the death cap mushroom for edible fungi from their native countries, according to experts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

Replacing this with automated mimicry suggests a disturbing turn toward commodified and monolingual film culture, she says.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

And Yo was running, like the mad, into the safety of her first tongue, where the proudly monolingual John could not catch her, even if he tried.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez