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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

adaptability, ambidexterity, utility

Nearby words

  1. versailles,
  2. versailles, palace of,
  3. versailles, treaty of,
  4. versal,
  5. versant,
  6. verse,
  7. versed,
  8. versed sine,
  9. verset,
  10. 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 versatility

British Dictionary definitions for versatility

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 Formsversatilely, 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