multilingualism
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for multilingualism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — the ability to speak more than one language, or a situation in which several languages are used.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
multilinguality
polylingualism
Antonyms
monolingualism
How to use multilingualism
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
promote multilingualism
a multilingualism policy
widespread multilingualism
growing up with multilingualism
It is a neutral, fairly formal word, more at home in policy or academic writing than in casual chat.
Etymology
Formed by adding the suffix -ism, which turns an idea into a noun naming a state or condition, to the adjective multilingual.
Full origin of multilingualism →Frequently asked questions
What does multilingualism mean?
It means being able to speak more than one language, or a setting where several languages are in everyday use.
Is multilingualism the same as bilingualism?
Bilingualism refers specifically to two languages, while multilingualism covers two or more, so bilingualism is one form of it.
What is the opposite of multilingualism?
The nearest opposite is monolingualism, the state of speaking only one language.
