Bilingual
/baɪˈlɪŋɡwəl/
adjectiveBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
Able to speak two languages with native or near-native fluency.
/baɪˈlɪŋɡwəl/
adjectiveneutralBeginner
General
Able to speak two languages fluently.
She's bilingual, speaking both French and English fluently.
💡 Simply: Knows two languages well.
More Examples
2
The school offers bilingual education for its students.
How It's Used
Education
"The bilingual program helps students develop proficiency in both English and Spanish."
Immigration
"Many immigrants strive to become bilingual to better integrate into their new society."
From Latin *bi- (meaning "two") + *lingua (meaning "tongue, language"). It emerged in the late 19th century.
The term gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the rise of formalized language education and immigration.
Memory tip
Bi- means two, lingual refers to language.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"bi- (two) + lingua (tongue, language)"
Base: lingual
bilingual educationbilingual dictionarybilingual speaker
Common misspellings
bi-lingualbylingual
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written