second language

American  

noun

1. a language learned by a person after their native language, especially as a resident of an area where their new language is in general use.

2. a language widely used, especially in educational and governmental functions in a region where all or most of its speakers are nonnative, as English in India or Nigeria.

---

second language British  

noun

1. a language other than the mother tongue that a person or community uses for public communication, esp in trade, higher education, and administration

2. a non-native language officially recognized and adopted in a multilingual country as a means of public communication

---

Etymology

Origin of second language

First recorded in 1875–80

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second language

At the same time, she said, the demands on teachers have risen as more students exhibit autism, developmental issues and other special needs; there are also more students struggling with English as a second language.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Mostly talking to each other in Spanish — both Venegas and Penna learned to speak it as a second language — they occasionally forget which language they are speaking to each other in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

AI detectors, for example, have a tendency to erroneously flag essays written by speakers of English as a second language, a 2023 Stanford analysis External link found.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

Yes, English is his second language and my first.

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026

Or how maps are a second language for me?

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---