Word of the Day: lingua franca

lingua franca ˈliŋ-gwə-ˈfraŋ-kə noun

1. a common language used by speakers of different languages

2. something that acts like a common language

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The term lingua franca has appeared in 16 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Oct. 15 in “Quebec Language Debate Spurs Eerie Sense of Déjà-Vu” by Dan Bilefsky:

Reducing the percentage of Francophone Quebecers who can attend English-language colleges is a measure that critics say will unfairly punish future generations of French-speaking Quebecers.

Julius Grey, an eminent human rights lawyer in Montreal, who has argued landmark cases before Canada’s Supreme Court, told me he feared that limiting English language education for Francophone young people would curtail their career horizons in a world in which the lingua franca is English.

“Francophones will be lulled into thinking you don’t need English for a successful career in North America, which is not the case,” he said.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the term lingua franca in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how lingua franca can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.