English · Word Candidate

bilingual

/baɪˈlɪŋ.ɡwəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: bilinguals

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Having the ability to speak two languages fluently.

Adjective

Examples

He thinks it's chic to have a bilingual wife.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Spoken or written in two different languages.

Adjective

Examples

a bilingual dictionary

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A person who is able to use two languages.

Noun

Examples

Imagine that you had to figure out the lexicon and grammar of a language that you did not know. How would you go about trying to figure out the structure of that language? It would be enormously helpful to have a bilingual speaker of your language and the new language: With a bilingual, you can agre

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

An inscription that includes the same text in two languages.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “bilingual” mean?

Having the ability to speak two languages fluently.

Is “bilingual” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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