Meaning & use
omnilingual
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparablerare
Able to understand or use every human language, or written so that speakers of any language can read it.
Grammar: Describes a person or thing, not a degree; you do not normally say 'more omnilingual'.
Patterns
- be omnilingual
- an omnilingual speaker
- an omnilingual message
In the story, the alien is omnilingual and greets the crew in flawless English.
No real person is omnilingual, though some polyglots speak a dozen languages.
Engineers dreamed of an omnilingual sign that any traveler could read at a glance.
adjectivebefore a nountechnicalrare
Relating to a hypothetical ability to handle all languages at once, as studied in linguistics or science fiction.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun in academic or fictional writing: an omnilingual capacity.
Patterns
- omnilingual ability
- omnilingual capacity
- an omnilingual approach
The paper discusses an omnilingual capacity that no human brain could hold.
Science fiction often gives robots an omnilingual gift so they can talk to everyone.
Linguists treat omnilingual claims with caution, since languages keep changing.
Common combinations
- be omnilingual
- The character seems omnilingual, switching languages mid-sentence.
- an omnilingual translator
- The app is advertised as an omnilingual translator for tourists.
- an omnilingual message
- They carved an omnilingual message on the plaque.
- almost omnilingual
- After years abroad she was almost omnilingual.
Synonyms and how they differ
- multilingual
- Means able to use several languages, which is realistic; omnilingual means every language and is mostly hypothetical.
- polyglot
- A noun or adjective for someone who knows many languages, but not necessarily all of them.
Opposites
Word family
- multilingual adjective
- Able to use more than one language.
- bilingual adjective
- Able to use two languages.
- linguistics noun
- The study of language and how it works.
- linguist noun
- A person who studies language or speaks several languages.
Commonly confused: omnilingual or multilingual?
omnilingual vs multilingual
Multilingual means several languages and is common; omnilingual means all languages and is rare and usually fictional. Use multilingual for real people and services.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'omnilingual' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Omnilingual' means able to use every language, which fits the fictional robot. Option 0 describes several languages, so 'multilingual' is better; option 2 names only two languages, and option 3 describes a book's size, not language ability.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “omnilingual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.