conversation
Americannoun
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informal interchange of thoughts, information, etc., by spoken words; oral communication between persons; talk.
how to master the art of conversation.
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such interchange by sign language, email, or other nonoral means of communication.
I enjoy our time on the phone, but she prefers conversation by texting.
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an instance of this.
I had a long phone conversation with my cousin in Florida.
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an informal public exchange of ideas or opinions about a particular issue; a dialogue.
It’s time for a global conversation about the epidemic.
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association or social intercourse.
a year's conversation with him as his caregiver and friend.
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the ability to talk socially with others.
She writes well but has no conversation.
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Obsolete.
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behavior or manner of living.
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close familiarity; intimate acquaintance, as from constant use or study.
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noun
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the interchange through speech of information, ideas, etc; spoken communication
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to talk in an artificial way
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of conversation
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English conversacio(u)n, from Latin conversātiōn- (stem of conversātiō ) “familiarity, conduct, behavior,” equivalent to conversāt(us), past participle of conversārī “to associate with” + -iōn- noun suffix; see origin at converse 1, -ion
Explanation
A conversation occurs when people talk to each other, like a conversation with your friend about school or professional basketball. The noun conversation comes from the Old French word of the same spelling, meaning "manner of conducting oneself in the world." When you have a conversation with another person or a group of people, you listen closely and respond appropriately, so that your conversation is a true exchange of ideas, not just people waiting for their turn to talk. A good conversation makes you feel heard, satisfied, and maybe even more informed.
Vocabulary lists containing conversation
The Language of the Test, List 3
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"Frankenstein" and "How Frankenstein Began"
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Speaking and Listening - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Her symptoms, which include blurry vision, struggling to recall "basic words" in conversation and feeling unfocused, can be embarrassing to deal with at work, she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Allow me to sing, o Muse, of a recent dinner conversation about “The Odyssey.”
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
In 2024, when Aschenbrenner made a rare public appearance on the podcast hosted by his friend Dwarkesh Patel, he was asked toward the end of a conversation that lasted 4½ hours about his investment plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“I hope we keep seeing the reverberations and I hope the conversation doesn’t die,” McShane says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Their chief work, I learned from bits of conversation, was liaison with England and the Free Dutch forces fighting elsewhere on the continent.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
More parents are calling up hiring managers, applying for jobs on their adult child’s behalf, and even showing up—or lurking just off-screen—on Zoom calls to help navigate difficult conversations or go over benefits packages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Part of their unofficial relationship homework involves field missions that spark heated conversations about masculine insecurity and Diarra’s conflicted desires about motherhood.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Despite numerous conversations over the past year, she has refused to take any action, and I have grown increasingly resentful of the situation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
The man sent screenshots of his text conversations with someone claiming to be Rivera.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Oh, YOU hear those conversations? Try being me. I AM those conversations. Dang! I received a text message, and I got distracted. Game over. Time to start again.”
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
