versatile
Americanadjective
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capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc..
It takes a truly versatile writer to manage two genres so well.
- Synonyms:
- all-around, adaptable
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having or capable of many uses.
A pocket knife is a versatile tool.
- Synonyms:
- handy, all-around, adaptable
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Botany. attached at or near the middle so as to swing freely, as an anther.
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Zoology. turning either forward or backward.
a versatile toe.
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variable or changeable, as in feeling, purpose, or policy.
His versatile moods made him a challenge to work with.
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Slang. vers.
adjective
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capable of or adapted for many different uses, skills, etc
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variable or changeable
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botany (of an anther) attached to the filament by a small area so that it moves freely in the wind
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zoology able to turn forwards and backwards
versatile antennae
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of versatile
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin versātilis “revolving, many-sided,” from versāt(us) “turned repeatedly” (past participle of versāre “to turn repeatedly,” from vertere “to turn”; see verse) + -ilis -ile
Explanation
To describe a person or thing that can adapt to do many things or serve many functions, consider the adjective versatile. In E.B. White's classic children's book Charlotte's Web, Charlotte the spider tells Wilbur the pig that she is versatile. "What does 'versatile' mean — full of eggs?" Wilbur asks. "Certainly not," Charlotte replies. "'Versatile' means I can turn with ease from one thing to another." Charlotte knew her etymology, because the word reflects its Latin root, versatilis, "turning around; revolving." It eventually came to describe someone who is multi-talented: a singer-songwriter-actress-model would be a versatile figure in the entertainment world.
Vocabulary lists containing versatile
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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List 2
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The versatile 40-year-old was out of contract after spending the past three seasons with Brighton.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Daniel Harding, the versatile British conductor and Air France pilot who made his L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
According to a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a ring-shaped area just beyond Jupiter's orbit acted as both an efficient and remarkably versatile "breeding ground" for planetesimals.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
This more versatile approach uses ultracold electrical circuits to store data, and timed pulses of microwave energy to perform calculations.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
In contrast, proteins—diverse, chatty, versatile, capable of assuming Zelig-like shapes and performing Zelig-like functions—were infinitely more attractive as gene carriers.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
