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Meaning & use

multilingual

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl/
US/ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparable

    Able to speak, write, or use several different languages.

    Grammar: Describes a person, family, or whole community; it is not normally graded with more or most.

    Patterns

    • multilingual speaker
    • multilingual family
    • multilingual country
    • multilingual staff

    Growing up with two parents from different countries, Ana is naturally multilingual.

    The hotel prides itself on its multilingual staff, who speak five languages.

    Switzerland is a famously multilingual country with four national languages.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Written, spoken, or available in several different languages.

    Grammar: Used for texts, signs, services, and websites; stands before the noun: a multilingual website.

    Patterns

    • multilingual website
    • multilingual dictionary
    • multilingual sign
    • multilingual support

    The museum offers a free multilingual audio guide in nine languages.

    Please install the multilingual version of the software if you need menus in Portuguese.

    The city's multilingual signs welcome visitors in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Common combinations

multilingual website
The airline's multilingual website lets you switch between twelve languages.
multilingual dictionary
She keeps a multilingual dictionary on her desk for quick lookups.
multilingual household
Children raised in a multilingual household often pick up accents easily.

Synonyms and how they differ

polyglot
Usually describes a person who knows or collects many languages, often with a sense of enthusiasm; it is rarely used for websites or signs.
bilingual
Means exactly two languages, so it is wrong when three or more are involved.

Opposites

monolingual

Word family

multilingualism noun
The ability to use several languages, or the presence of several languages in a place.
multilingually adverb
In a way that involves several languages.
monolingual adjective
Using only one language.
bilingual adjective
Using exactly two languages.

Commonly confused: multilingual or bilingual?

multilingual vs bilingual

Bilingual means two languages only; use multilingual when a person or text involves three or more.

Practice

The sign at the border is written in four languages, so it is ___

Make it your own

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