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 by with).

  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

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. 2023

How to use converse in a sentence

  • To me, as a stranger, he was most ceremoniously yet kindly polite, and conversed on all subjects and of all countries.

  • Her Imperial Majesty conversed easily with every body, only telling us all to speak Portuguese, which of course we did.

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

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