conversazione
Americannoun
-
conversaziones,
plural
-
conversazioni
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of conversazione
First recorded in 1740–50; from Italian; literally, “conversation, meeting to hold a conversation”; see origin at conversation ( def. )
Explanation
A conversazione isn’t just a casual chat — it’s a lively, engaging, and intellectual conversation where people talk about art, literature, and culture. The word conversazione comes from the Italian word for "conversation" and originally referred to a social gathering centered around stimulating conversation. These events became popular in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries as a way for intellectuals and artists to exchange ideas in an informal environment. Unlike casual small talk, a conversazione is about having meaningful discussions in a setting that encourages creativity and deep thinking.
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:
He has always been a fine painter of sociability, and the traditional genre of the conversazione fits his photocollage methods like a glove.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
Like many a tourist before & after, he found ample material for jokes in such things as French opera and royalty, nuns and pubs, Italian comedy and conversazione.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
The Countess of Broadhem requests the pleasure of Lord Frank Vanecourt's company at a conversazione on Thursday the 22d, at nine o'clock.
From Piccadilly A Fragment of Contemporary Biography by Laurence Oliphant
His house then became a meeting place for scientific workers, and during his presidency he held a conversazione open on Sunday evenings to all fellows of the Geological Society.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4 "Finland" to "Fleury, Andre" by Various
We proposed a conversazione, with first-rate music; but in that Miss Landon could not sympathize.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 89, March, 1865 by Various
It was while he was teaching English at the University of Chicago that he met "Harriet," who kept alive the torch of culture by all-night literary conversaziones around a lakeshore bonfire.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
The mandolin player, dressed like a bull fighter, held musical conversaziones, interpreting the peasant songs of Andalusia.
From The Octopus : A story of California by Frank Norris
There were musical parties, conversaziones, and picnics to the Chaudière and Lorette; and people who were dancing till four or five o'clock in the morning were vigorous enough after ten for a gallop to Montmorenci.
From The Englishwoman in America by Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird
The great magnet was the famed Mademoiselle Scudery, whose voluminous romances were their code; and it is supposed these tomes preserve some of their lengthened conversaziones.
From Literary Character of Men of Genius Drawn from Their Own Feelings and Confessions by Isaac Disraeli
"These assemblies," he wrote home, "which, at a distance, sounded so full of splendour and gallantry to me, turned into something much worse than one of Lydia White's conversaziones."
From A Wanderer in Venice by Harry Morley
Dancing and masquerading are now over and Requiems and the Miserere the order of the day at the conversazioni.
From After Waterloo: Reminiscences of European Travel 1815-1819 by Major W. E Frye
Elsewhere, there are conversazioni around fires, with a woman for queen of the circle,—her Nubian face, gay headdress, gilt necklace, and white teeth, all resplendent in the glowing light.
From Army Life in a Black Regiment by Thomas Wentworth Higginson
In early life, he ranked amongst the literary characters that adorned the last century; and, for some years before his death, had outlived most of the persons who frequented the conversazioni of Dr. Johnson.
From Books and Authors Curious Facts and Characteristic Sketches by Anonymous
I knew him personally, and had met him often at conversazioni and elsewhere.
From Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 5 With His Letters and Journals by Thomas Moore
But she's rich, and her conversazioni are perfectly brilliant.
From The Lady of the Aroostook by William Dean Howells
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.