multilingual en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡju.əl/
- /ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multus Latin multīder. Middle English multi- English multi- Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s Proto-Italic *dn̥ɣwā Latin dingua Latin lingua Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin linguālislbor. English lingual English multilingual From multi- + lingual.
Meanings
-
Of, relating to, or involving multiple languages.
In reality, the multidimensionality of language contact in multilingual environments ensures no such neat compartmentalisation.
2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 9:Wikipedia is the most ambitious multilingual project after the Bible: There are editions in over 340 languages, and a further 400 even more obscure ones are being developed and tested.
2025 September 25, Jacob Judah, “How AI and Wikipedia have sent vulnerable languages into a doom spiral”, in MIT Technology Review:
-
(of a person) Able to communicate in a number of languages.
Describing us as multilingual emphasizes our achievements and that learning English adds to the richness of our identity.
2021 December 18, Ching Ching Tan, “Spielberg’s West Side Story shows us the value of multilingualism”, in CNN:So being multilingual can make you more appealing, more successful and more compassionate. And it’s also good for your health.
2017 April 2, Maureen O'Hare, “Does being bilingual make you sexy?”, in CNN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most multilingual | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more multilingual | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
multilingualize · multilingually · multilingualization · multilingualness · multilingual notation
Relateds
Synonyms
multilanguage · plurilingual · multilinguistic · many-tongued · polyglot
Translations (102)
pt plurilíngue (pertaining to multiple languages) · nl meertalig (pertaining to multiple languages) · ur کثیر اللسان (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ar أَلْسُنِيّ (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · gl multilingüe (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ur کثیر اللسان (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt multilingue (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ko 다중언어 (pertaining to multiple languages) · sh višejezičan (pertaining to multiple languages) · de polyglott (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · de polyglott (pertaining to multiple languages) · hu soknyelvű (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt multilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · ca plurilingüe (pertaining to multiple languages) · de mehrsprachig (pertaining to multiple languages) · az çoxdilli (pertaining to multiple languages) · mk повеќеја́зичен (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · nv díkwííshį́į́ saad yidiitsʼaʼ (pertaining to multiple languages) · sv mångspråkig (pertaining to multiple languages) · ca plurilingüe (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · mi reomaha (pertaining to multiple languages) · de polyglottisch (pertaining to multiple languages) · id multibahasa (pertaining to multiple languages) · fr plurilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · fr polyglotte (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · el πολύγλωσσος (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · it multilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt plurilíngue (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · sq shumëgjuhësh (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ca multilingüe (pertaining to multiple languages) · ar لِسانجيّ (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ko 다국어 (pertaining to multiple languages) · cs mnohojazyčný (pertaining to multiple languages) · eo plurlingva (pertaining to multiple languages) · nn fleirspråkleg (pertaining to multiple languages) · es multilingüe (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · be мнагамо́ўны (pertaining to multiple languages) · sk mnohojazyčný (pertaining to multiple languages) · gd ioma-chànaineach (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · sv flerspråkig (pertaining to multiple languages) · gl multilingüe (pertaining to multiple languages) · cmn 多種語言 /多种语言 (pertaining to multiple languages) · da flersproget (pertaining to multiple languages) · tr çokdilli (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · grc πολύγλωσσος (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · fr multilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · kmr pirzimanî (pertaining to multiple languages) · eu eleanitz (pertaining to multiple languages) · nn fleirspråkleg (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · gd ioma-chànaineach (pertaining to multiple languages) · fi monikielinen (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · el πολύγλωσσος (pertaining to multiple languages) · de mehrsprachig (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · gl políglota (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ia multilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · ar مُتَعَدِّد اللُّغَات (pertaining to multiple languages) · pl wielojęzyczny (pertaining to multiple languages) · fi monikielinen (pertaining to multiple languages) · ca multilingüe (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · hu poliglott (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · es multilingüe (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt poliglota (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ka მრავალენობრივი (pertaining to multiple languages) · ar أَلْسُنِيّ (pertaining to multiple languages) · eu eleanitz (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ru многоязы́чный (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ka მრავალენოვანი (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · vi đa ngôn ngữ (pertaining to multiple languages) · fa چند زبانه (pertaining to multiple languages) · ja 多言語 (pertaining to multiple languages) · gl plurilingüe (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · gl plurilingüe (pertaining to multiple languages) · el γλωσσομαθής (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · az çoxdilli (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ru многоязы́чный (pertaining to multiple languages) · hu többnyelvű (pertaining to multiple languages) · be шматмо́ўны (pertaining to multiple languages) · mk повеќеја́зичен (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt multilíngue (pertaining to multiple languages) · te బహుభాషా (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt plurilingue (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · de multilingual (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt multilíngue (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · nb flerspråklig (pertaining to multiple languages) · nb flerspråklig (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · ar لُغَاتِيّ (pertaining to multiple languages) · is fjöltyngdur (pertaining to multiple languages) · tr çokdilli (pertaining to multiple languages) · bg многоези́чен (pertaining to multiple languages) · sv flerspråkig (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · uk багатомо́вний (pertaining to multiple languages) · eo multlingva (pertaining to multiple languages) · it plurilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · oge მრავალენოვანი (pertaining to multiple languages) · lv daudzvalodīgs (pertaining to multiple languages) · pl wielojęzyczny (able to communicate fluently in multiple languages) · cs vícejazyčný (pertaining to multiple languages) · pt plurilingue (pertaining to multiple languages) · cmn 多語 /多语 (pertaining to multiple languages) · sl večjezičen (pertaining to multiple languages) · sh вишејезичан (pertaining to multiple languages) · de vielsprachig (pertaining to multiple languages)