definitions

versatile

[ vur-suh-tl or, esp. British, -tahyl ]
/ ˈvɜr sə tl or, esp. British, -ˌtaɪl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR versatile ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc.: a versatile writer.
having or capable of many uses: a versatile tool.
Botany. attached at or near the middle so as to swing freely, as an anther.
Zoology. turning either forward or backward: a versatile toe.
variable or changeable, as in feeling, purpose, or policy: versatile moods.

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RELATED WORDS

gifted, talented, skillful, skilled, functional, all-around, adaptable, accomplished, resourceful, able, adroit, conversant, dexterous, elastic, facile, handy, ingenuous, mobile, plastic, pliable

Nearby words

versailles, versailles, palace of, versailles, treaty of, versal, versant, versatile, verse, versed, versed sine, verset, versicle

Origin of versatile

1595–1605; < Latin versātilis revolving, many-sided, equivalent to versāt(us) (past participle of versāre, frequentative of vertere to turn; see verse, -ate1) + -ilis -ile

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for versatile

British Dictionary definitions for versatile

versatile

/ (ˈvɜːsəˌtaɪl) /

adjective

capable of or adapted for many different uses, skills, etc
variable or changeable
botany (of an anther) attached to the filament by a small area so that it moves freely in the wind
zoology able to turn forwards and backwardsversatile antennae

Derived Forms

versatilely, adverbversatility (ˌvɜːsəˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for versatile

C17: from Latin versātilis moving around, from versāre to turn
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