Meanings
adjectivemultilingual (comparative more multilingual, superlative most multilingual)
comparative more multilingual · superlative most multilingual
- 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 91 more example
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 ReviewSynonyms: many-tongued, multilanguage, multilinguistic, plurilingual
- 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 CNN1 more example
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 CNNSynonyms: polyglot · Antonyms: monolingual, unilingual
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf, relating to, or involving multiple languages.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveusing or knowing more than one language
Similar
Opposite
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*mel-
- Proto-Indo-European*ml̥tós?
- Proto-Italic*moltos
- Latinmultus
- Latinmultī
- Middle Englishmulti-
- Englishmulti-
- Proto-Indo-European*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s
- Proto-Italic*dn̥ɣwā
- Latindingua
- Latinlingua
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Latinlinguāli
- Englishlingual
- Englishmultilingual
Translations
Ancient Greek πολύγλωσσος
- πολύγλωσσος (polúglōssos)able to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Arabic مُتَعَدِّد اللُّغَات, أَلْسُنِيّ
- مُتَعَدِّد اللُّغَات (mutaʕaddid al-luḡāt)pertaining to multiple languages
- أَلْسُنِيّ (ʔalsuniyy)pertaining to multiple languages
- لُغَاتِيّ (luḡātiyy)pertaining to multiple languages
- أَلْسُنِيّ (ʔalsuniyy)able to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- لِسانجيّable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Basque eleanitz, eleanitz
- eleanitzpertaining to multiple languages
- eleanitzable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Bulgarian многоези́чен
- многоези́чен (mnogoezíčen)pertaining to multiple languages
Catalan multilingüe, plurilingüe
- multilingüepertaining to multiple languages
- plurilingüepertaining to multiple languages
- multilingüeable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- plurilingüeable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Chinese Mandarin 多種語言 /多种语言, 多語 /多语
- 多種語言 /多种语言 (duōzhǒngyǔyán)pertaining to multiple languages
- 多語 /多语 (duōyǔ)pertaining to multiple languages
Czech vícejazyčný, mnohojazyčný
- vícejazyčnýpertaining to multiple languages
- mnohojazyčnýpertaining to multiple languages
Danish flersproget
- flersprogetpertaining to multiple languages
Dutch meertalig
- meertaligpertaining to multiple languages
Esperanto plurlingva, multlingva
- plurlingvapertaining to multiple languages
- multlingvapertaining to multiple languages
Finnish monikielinen, monikielinen
- monikielinenpertaining to multiple languages
- monikielinenable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
French plurilingue, multilingue
- plurilinguepertaining to multiple languages
- multilinguepertaining to multiple languages
- polyglotteable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
German vielsprachig, mehrsprachig
- vielsprachigpertaining to multiple languages
- mehrsprachigpertaining to multiple languages
- multilingualpertaining to multiple languages
- polyglottpertaining to multiple languages
- polyglottischpertaining to multiple languages
- mehrsprachigable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- polyglottable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Greek πολύγλωσσος, πολύγλωσσος
- πολύγλωσσος (polýglossos)pertaining to multiple languages
- πολύγλωσσος (polýglossos)able to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- γλωσσομαθής (glossomathís)able to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Hungarian többnyelvű, soknyelvű
- többnyelvűpertaining to multiple languages
- soknyelvűpertaining to multiple languages
- poliglottable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Icelandic fjöltyngdur
- fjöltyngdurpertaining to multiple languages
Indonesian multibahasa
- multibahasapertaining to multiple languages
Italian plurilingue, multilingue
- plurilinguepertaining to multiple languages
- multilinguepertaining to multiple languages
Japanese 多言語
- 多言語 (tagengo)pertaining to multiple languages
Korean 다중언어, 다국어
- 다중언어 (dajung'eoneo)pertaining to multiple languages
- 다국어 (dagugeo)pertaining to multiple languages
Latvian daudzvalodīgs
- daudzvalodīgspertaining to multiple languages
Māori reomaha
- reomahapertaining to multiple languages
Norwegian Bokmål flerspråklig, flerspråklig
- flerspråkligpertaining to multiple languages
- flerspråkligable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Persian چند زبانه
- چند زبانه (čand zabâne)pertaining to multiple languages
Polish wielojęzyczny, wielojęzyczny
- wielojęzycznypertaining to multiple languages
- wielojęzycznyable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Portuguese multilíngue, multilingue
- multilínguepertaining to multiple languages
- multilinguepertaining to multiple languages
- plurilínguepertaining to multiple languages
- plurilinguepertaining to multiple languages
- poliglotaable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- multilíngueable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- multilingueable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- plurilíngueable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
- plurilingueable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Russian многоязы́чный, многоязы́чный
- многоязы́чный (mnogojazýčnyj)pertaining to multiple languages
- многоязы́чный (mnogojazýčnyj)able to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Scottish Gaelic ioma-chànaineach, ioma-chànaineach
- ioma-chànaineachpertaining to multiple languages
- ioma-chànaineachable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Slovak mnohojazyčný
- mnohojazyčnýpertaining to multiple languages
Spanish multilingüe, multilingüe
- multilingüepertaining to multiple languages
- multilingüeable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Swedish flerspråkig, mångspråkig
- flerspråkigpertaining to multiple languages
- mångspråkigpertaining to multiple languages
- flerspråkigable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Turkish çokdilli, çokdilli
- çokdillipertaining to multiple languages
- çokdilliable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Ukrainian багатомо́вний
- багатомо́вний (bahatomóvnyj)pertaining to multiple languages
Urdu کثیر اللسان, کثیر اللسان
- کثیر اللسانpertaining to multiple languages
- کثیر اللسانable to communicate fluently in multiple languages
Vietnamese đa ngôn ngữ
- đa ngôn ngữpertaining to multiple languages
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with multilingual
bilinguallingualsublingualmonolingualtrilingualunilingualalveololingualambilingualanterolingualapicolingualaudiolingualaxiolingualbrevilingualbuccolingualcervicolingualcolingualcrosslingualdecalingualdentilingualdistolingualdorsolingualequilingualexolingualfaciolingual
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
multilingual. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multilingual
MLA
“multilingual.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multilingual. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “multilingual,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/multilingual.
Source: multilingual on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.