fluent

American  

[floo-uhnt] / ˈflu ənt /

adjective

1. spoken or written with ease.

   fluent French.

2. able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily.

   a fluent speaker;

   fluent in six languages.

3. easy; graceful.

   fluent motion;

   fluent curves.

4. flowing, as a stream.

5. capable of flowing; fluid, as liquids or gases.

6. easily changed or adapted; pliant.

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fluent British  

/ ˈfluːənt /

adjective

1. able to speak or write a specified foreign language with facility

2. spoken or written with facility

   his French is fluent

3. easy and graceful in motion or shape

4. flowing or able to flow freely

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Related Words

Fluent, glib, voluble may refer to a flow of words. Fluent suggests the easy and ready flow of an accomplished speaker and is usually a term of commendation: a fluent and interesting speech. Glib implies an excessive fluency divorced from sincerity or profundity; it often suggests talking smoothly and hurriedly to cover up or deceive, not giving the hearer a chance to stop and think; it may also imply a plausible, prepared, and well-rehearsed lie: He had a glib answer for everything. Voluble implies the overcopious and often rapid flow of words characteristic of a person who loves to talk: She overwhelmed him with her voluble answer. See also eloquent.

Other Word Forms

• fluency noun
• fluently adverb
• fluentness noun
• nonfluency noun
• nonfluent adjective
• nonfluentness noun
• overfluency noun
• overfluent adjective
• overfluentness noun
• transfluent adjective
• unfluent adjective

Etymology

Origin of fluent

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin fluent- (stem of fluēns ) “flowing,” present participle of fluere; -ent

Example Sentences

As it happens, he didn’t have to be fluent in his new tongue to discuss the medal he won on Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is fluent in several European languages, including German and Russian.

From The Wall Street Journal

They are idealistic and impatient, fluent in slogans and sarcasm, and astutely aware that the system they are training to enter may have no particular use for them.

From BBC

"It would be a dream if I became fluent and people tried to guess which part of Wales I was from," he added.

From BBC

The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eloquent
• persuasive
• talkative
• vocal