member of the Western, or Indonesian, branch of the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family. It was spoken in the late 20th century by as many as 14,600,000 persons in the Philippines (speakers are spread over eastern Negros, Cebu, Bohol, western Leyte, the Camotes Islands, and the northern and western coasts of Mindanao). Cebuano is closely related to the Hiligaynon (Ilongo) and Waray languages, with which it is sometimes grouped as dialects of a Visayan (Visayas) (Bisayan) language.

Native Cebuano speakers constitute about one-fourth of the population of the Philippines and as such comprise the largest linguistic and cultural group in the country. Despite its spoken frequency, Cebuano is little used as a literary language, although newspapers and films both use the language.