trilingual
Americanadjective
adjective
-
able to speak three languages fluently
-
expressed or written in three languages
Usage
What does trilingual mean? Trilingual is most commonly used to describe someone who can speak or understand three languages, especially with some level of fluency. It can also be used to describe things that involve or that are written or spoken in three languages, as in These instructions are trilingual—they’re written in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The similar terms bilingual and multilingual are used in the same way, with bilingual indicating two languages and multilingual indicating more than two and especially several languages. The ability to speak three languages or the use of two languages is called trilingualism. Example: Being trilingual is a great advantage for many job seekers.
Other Word Forms
- trilingualism noun
- trilingually adverb
Etymology
Origin of trilingual
1825–35; < Latin trilingu ( is ) triple-tongued + -al 1. See tri-, lingual
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The best-case scenario is to have a parallel text — a so-called bilingual or trilingual — that presents approximately the same meaning, but in two or three different scripts or languages," Bonmann said.
From Scientific American • Jul. 19, 2023
Since you're trilingual, did you need to improve your Korean fluency at all or, on the flip side – how did you prepare for the more broken English?
From Salon • Jul. 2, 2023
The Brazilian artist has been nothing short of phenomenal with her trilingual album “Versions of Me,” which was led by her single “Envolver.”
From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2023
But Legault extended an olive branch to immigrants last week, setting a cabinet that included a trilingual immigration minister and a Black anti-racism minister.
From Reuters • Oct. 27, 2022
At this point, I thought of myself basically as trilingual.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
