multilingual

American  

[muhl-tee-ling-gwuhl, muhl-tahy-, -ling-gyoo-uhl] / ˌmʌl tiˈlɪŋ gwəl, ˌmʌl taɪ-, -ˈlɪŋ gyu əl /

adjective

1. using or able to speak several or many languages with some facility.

2. spoken or written in several or many languages.

   a multilingual broadcast.

3. dealing with or involving several or many languages.

   a multilingual dictionary of business terms.

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noun

1. a multilingual person.

multilingual British  

/ ˌmʌltɪˈlɪŋɡwəl /

adjective

1. able to speak more than two languages

2. written or expressed in more than two languages Compare bilingual monolingual

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Usage

What does multilingual mean? Multilingual is most commonly used to describe someone who can speak or understand multiple languages, especially someone who can speak several languages with some level of fluency. It can also be used to describe things that involve or that are written or spoken in multiple languages, as in These instructions are multilingual—they’re written in seven different languages. Someone who speaks two languages is multilingual, but the term is most often used to describe someone who speaks more than three languages, since the term bilingual is commonly used to describe someone who speaks two languages and trilingual is used to describe someone who speaks three. The ability to speak multiple languages or the use of multiple languages is called multilingualism. Example: Being multilingual is a great advantage when applying for international jobs.

Other Word Forms

• multilingualism
  noun
• multilingually
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of multilingual

First recorded in 1830–40; multi- + lingual

Explanation

Do you speak Spanish or French, in addition to English? Then you are multilingual, which is an impressive and practical thing to be. Multilingual people can speak and/or write more than one language, whether that's English and Japanese, Spanish and sign language, or French and Klingon. Except for the silly example of Klingon, being multilingual is extremely useful — it can help you get jobs and succeed in life, because you're able to communicate with more people. Becoming multilingual is a great goal for anyone. It helps you learn about the world and do more than a monolingual person can.

Example Sentences

Multilingual scripts, images of young women and timed toilet breaks: a police tour of a newly busted cyberscam operation in Cambodia on Wednesday revealed how fraudsters ensnare foreign victims online.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

The initiative began at the University of Tübingen and later continued at the University of Passau at the Chair of Multilingual Computational Linguistics.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

Multilingual vocal group Il Divo and Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kany Garcia are among those with scheduled concerts.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2022

Local school districts also must do their part, said Hilda Maldonado, executive director of Multilingual and Multicultural Education for Los Angeles Unified, which has more English learners than any other school system in the state.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2016

She directs the Multilingual Mainers program for early elementary students and educators.

From Washington Post