a language that is used for communication between people whose main languages are different.
English is the undisputed lingua franca of the business world.
(often + of)
lingua franca
Any language used to bridge the gap between people who do not speak the same language. English is the lingua franca in many foreign tourist destinations.
a ˌlingua ˈfranca
(from Italian) a shared language that is used for communication by people whose main languages are different: In the middle of the 20th century, English became the lingua franca of the world.The majority of our group being South American, we used Spanish as a lingua franca.