multilingual
adjective
mul·ti·lin·gual
ˌməl-tē-ˈliŋ-gwəl
-ˈliŋ-gyə-wəl,
-ˌtī-
1
: of, having, or expressed in several languages
a multilingual sign
multilingual dictionaries
2
: using or able to use several languages especially with equal fluency
multilingual translators
Did you know?
The roots of multilingual come from Latin. If you happen to prefer Greek, use the synonym polyglot, in which poly- has the same meaning as multi-, and -glot means the same thing as -lingual. The best way to become multilingual is probably to be born in a bilingual (two-language) household; learning those first two seems to give the mind the kind of exercise that makes later language-learning easy.
Cite this Entry
“Multilingual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilingual. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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