English Reference

Word

bilingual

Phoneticsbilin·gual

US/baɪˈɫɪŋɡwəɫ/

UK/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl/

Definitions

01speaking two languages

B1

adj. able to speak two languages perfectly or very well.

adj. having the ability to speak two languages with native or near-native fluency.

“She grew up in Montreal and is completely bilingual in French and English.”

“The company prioritises hiring bilingual candidates to better serve their diverse client base in the border regions.”

Usage

Usually followed by the preposition 'in' when specifying the languages.

Synonyms

diglossic

Antonyms

monolingual

02written in two languages

B1

adj. written or spoken in two different languages.

adj. expressed in, using, or containing two languages, often for the purpose of accessibility or education.

“The street signs in this city are bilingual so everyone can read them.”

“The museum provides bilingual brochures to ensure that international tourists can navigate the exhibits without a private guide.”

Synonyms

dual-language

03a person

B2

n. someone who can use two languages fluently.

n. a person with the ability to use two languages with equal or nearly equal facility.

“As a bilingual, he often helps his friends translate difficult emails.”

“Psychological studies suggest that bilinguals may possess a cognitive advantage in tasks requiring executive control and task-switching.”

Synonyms

polyglot

Antonyms

monoglot

Etymology

From Latin bilinguis + -al; equivalent to bi- + lingual.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/bilingual

English Reference