English Lexicon

Bilingualism

/baɪˈlɪŋ.ɡwɪz.əm/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    The ability to speak two languages fluently.

    "Early childhood education in this region actively promotes bilingualism."

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'bis' (twice) and 'lingua' (tongue, language), combined with the English suffix '-ism' denoting a state or condition. The term emerged in the 19th century to describe the regular use of two distinct languages by individuals or speech communities.

10 Global Lexicons: How "Bilingualism" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Bilingualism"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Bilingualism" Synonym Map