Multilingual Meaning
/ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOf, relating to, or involving multiple languages.
adjAble to communicate in a number of languages.
Sentence Examples
Tatoeba is really multilingual. All the languages are interconnected.
Find multilingual sentence equivalents at Tatoeba.org.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The tour guide was ____ and could speak five languages fluently, which helped tourists from different countries.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Because she grew up in a very diverse neighborhood, she is ____ and can speak four different languages with a high level of fluency.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multus Latin multīder. Middle English multi- English multi- Latin linguālislbor. English lingual English multilingual From multi- + lingual.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The tour guide was ____ and could speak five languages fluently, which helped tourists from different countries.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Because she grew up in a very diverse neighborhood, she is ____ and can speak four different languages with a high level of fluency.