second language
noun
: a language that is learned in addition to the language a person first learned as a young child
Examples of second language in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nevertheless, for many of those who remain, English is their second language, after Scottish Gaelic.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Seventy-five per cent of English speakers speak it as a second language.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman, who is of Somali descent, told ABC News in an interview last Wednesday that locations for English as a second language courses, places of worship and homes have been targeted.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025
Kind of like learning a second language.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second language
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Seventy-five per cent of English speakers speak it as a second language.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman, who is of Somali descent, told ABC News in an interview last Wednesday that locations for English as a second language courses, places of worship and homes have been targeted.
—Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025
Kind of like learning a second language.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second language
Cite this Entry
“Second language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20language. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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