well-versed
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-versed
First recorded in 1590–1600
Explanation
Well-versed is used to describe someone very familiar with a specific subject, especially one that requires a lot of experience or study. With time, you could be well-versed in legal contracts, animal behavior, or the cake-baking business. Well-versed is really just an intensified version of versed, which means "experienced in or familiar with." It comes from the obsolete word verse meaning "to turn over," so someone who is well-versed in a subject has turned it over and over again in their mind — or maybe they've read a lot of books and turned a lot of pages to study it. The word conversant, which also means "well-informed about," comes from this same root word.
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.
In Devon, storm preparation at the Pebbleridge Kitchen near Northern Burrows Country Park is a "well-versed process" after the last winter.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
It’s typically done so without making waves, led by people well-versed in science and public policy.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
But it all starts with awareness, because if you don’t see the danger in a situation, it doesn’t matter how well-versed you are in protecting yourself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Not everyone is well-versed in investing for retirement, and that lack of knowledge deters some people from saving for the future at all.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Is Ridge Sabio well-versed in customs and practices of time period?
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
