second language

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Definition of second language

noun

a language learned by a person after his or her native language, especially as a resident of an area where it is in general use.

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.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby second language

second home, second-homer, second intention, Second International, second lady, second language, second lien, second lieutenant, secondly, second man, second mate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use second language in a sentence

The other piece too, is we provide things like debt-free degrees, mental health benefits, English as a second language, not just for you, but your extended family.
Chipotle’s CEO on Fighting the Tide of Quitting Workers: It’s About More Than Higher Pay and Better Benefits|John Simons|December 12, 2021|Time
A real advance for those with hearing difficulties or where English is a second language.
Eternals Introduces Marvel’s First Deaf Superhero. But Accessibility Issues Still Plague Moviegoers|Kat Moon|November 11, 2021|Time
In addition to bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and GEDs, the program will cover English as a second language certifications.
Amazon fights high warehouse turnover with offer of free college tuition|Tim De Chant|September 10, 2021|Ars Technica
In parts of eastern Germany that feel neglected by Berlin, schools are now teaching Polish as a second language.
Can Germany Lead Without Merkel?|Nick Fouriezos|April 14, 2021|Ozy

Despite the strong language, however, the neither the JPO nor Lockheed could dispute a single fact in either Daily Beast report.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And as he adjusted to this change in circumstances, he screamed at himself a second time: Wait!
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A second document was titled: “Gambia Reborn: A Charter for Transition from Dictatorship to Democracy and Development.”
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Some of them already are in Germany taking language lessons.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Perhaps you do not speak my language,” she said in Urdu, the tongue most frequently heard in Upper India.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
In treble, second and fourth, the first change is a dodge behind; and the second time the treble leads, there's a double Bob.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
On his head was the second-hand hat of some parvenu's coachman, gold lace, cockade and all.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The beauty, the mystery,—this fierce sunshine or something—stir——' She hesitated for a fraction of a second.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
I would ask you to imagine it translated into every language, a common material of understanding throughout all the world.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

British Dictionary definitions for second language

second language

noun

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

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012