first language

/fərst ˌlæŋgwɪdʒ/
/fəst ˈlæŋgwɪdʒ/
IPA guide

Other forms: first languages

Definitions of first language
  1. noun
    one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next
    synonyms: maternal language, mother tongue
    see moresee less
    type of:
    natural language, tongue
    a human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘first language'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family