converse

1
[ verb kuhn-vurs; noun kon-vurs ]
See synonyms for converse on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),con·versed, con·vers·ing.
  1. to talk informally with another or others; exchange views, opinions, etc., by talking.

  2. Archaic. to maintain a familiar association (usually followed bywith).

  1. Obsolete. to have sexual intercourse (usually followed by with).

noun
  1. familiar discourse or talk; conversation.

Origin of converse

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English conversen, from Middle French converser, from Latin conversārī “to associate with”; see con-, verse

synonym study For converse

1. See speak.

Other words for converse

Other words from converse

  • con·vers·er, noun

Words Nearby converse

Other definitions for converse (2 of 3)

converse2
[ adjective kuhn-vurs, kon-vurs; noun kon-vurs ]

adjective
  1. opposite or contrary in direction, action, sequence, etc.; turned around.

noun
  1. something opposite or contrary.

  2. Logic.

    • a proposition obtained from another proposition by conversion.

    • the relation between two terms, one of which is related to the other in a given manner, as “younger than” to “older than.”

  1. a group of words correlative with a preceding group but having a significant pair of terms interchanged, as “hot in winter but cold in summer” and “cold in winter but hot in summer.”

Origin of converse

2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English convers, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin conversus, past participle of convertere “to turn around,” equivalent to con- “with, together” + vert- “to turn” + -tus past participle suffix; cf. convert1

Other words from converse

  • con·verse·ly [kuhn-vurs-lee, kon-vurs-], /kənˈvɜrs li, ˈkɒn vɜrs-/, adverb

Words that may be confused with converse

Other definitions for Converse (3 of 3)

Converse
[ kon-vurs ]

noun
  1. Frederick Shep·herd [shep-erd], /ˈʃɛp ərd/, 1871–1940, U.S. composer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use converse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for converse (1 of 2)

converse1

verb(kənˈvɜːs) (intr often foll by with)
  1. to engage in conversation (with)

  2. to commune spiritually (with)

  1. obsolete

    • to associate; consort

    • to have sexual intercourse

noun(ˈkɒnvɜːs)
  1. conversation (often in the phrase hold converse with)

  2. obsolete

    • fellowship or acquaintance

    • sexual intercourse

Origin of converse

1
C16: from Old French converser, from Latin conversārī to keep company with, from conversāre to turn constantly, from vertere to turn

Derived forms of converse

  • converser, noun

British Dictionary definitions for converse (2 of 2)

converse2

/ (ˈkɒnvɜːs) /


adjective
  1. (prenominal) reversed; opposite; contrary

noun
  1. something that is opposite or contrary

  2. logic

    • a categorical proposition obtained from another by the transposition of subject and predicate, as no bad man is bald from no bald man is bad

    • a proposition so derived, possibly by weakening a universal proposition to the corresponding particular, as some socialists are rich from all rich men are socialists

  1. logic maths a relation that holds between two relata only when a given relation holds between them in reverse order: thus father of is the converse of son of

Origin of converse

2
C16: from Latin conversus turned around; see converse 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012