a. [ Cf. F. conversable. ] Qualified for conversation; disposed to converse; sociable; free in discourse. [ 1913 Webster ]

While young, humane, conversable, and kind. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being conversable; disposition to converse; sociability. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a conversable manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being conversant; habit of familiarity; familiar acquaintance; intimacy. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Conversance [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. conversans, p. pr. of conversari: cf. F. conversant. ] 1. Having frequent or customary intercourse; familiary associated; intimately acquainted. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have been conversant with the first persons of the age. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Familiar or acquainted by use or study; well-informed; versed; -- generally used with with, sometimes with in. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deeply conversant in the Platonic philosophy. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

he uses the different dialects as one who had been conversant with them all. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conversant only with the ways of men. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Concerned; occupied. [ 1913 Webster ]

Education . . . is conversant about children. W. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who converses with another; a convenser. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a familiar manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. conversacio (in senses 1 & 2), OF. conversacion, F. conversation, fr. L. conversatio frequent abode in a place, intercourse, LL. also, manner of life. ] 1. General course of conduct; behavior. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel. Philip. i. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; close acquaintance. “Conversation with the best company.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

I set down, out of long experience in business and much conversation in books, what I thought pertinent to this business. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Commerce; intercourse; traffic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All traffic and mutual conversation. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Colloquial discourse; oral interchange of sentiments and observations; informal dialogue. [ 1913 Webster ]

The influence exercised by his [ Johnson's ] conversation was altogether without a parallel. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Sexual intercourse; as, criminal conversation.

Syn. -- Intercourse; communion; commerce; familiarity; discourse; dialogue; colloquy; talk; chat. -- Conversation, Talk. There is a looser sense of these words, in which they are synonymous; there is a stricter sense, in which they differ. Talk is usually broken, familiar, and versatile. Conversation is more continuous and sustained, and turns ordinarily upon topics or higher interest. Children talk to their parents or to their companions; men converse together in mixed assemblies. Dr. Johnson once remarked, of an evening spent in society, that there had been a great deal of talk, but no conversation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to conversation; in the manner of one conversing; as, a conversational style. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A conversationist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Aaquaintea with m`nners aod deportment; behaved. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Till she be better conversationed, . . . I'll keep
As far from her as the gallows. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A word or phrase used in conversation; a colloquialism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who converses much, or who excels in conversation. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to intercourse with men; social; -- opposed to contemplative. [ 1913 Webster ]

She chose . . . to endue him with the conversative qualities of youth. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Conversazioni /plu>. [ It. See Conversation. ] A meeting or assembly for conversation, particularly on literary or scientific subjects. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

These conversazioni [ at Florence ] resemble our card assemblies. A. Drummond. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Conversed p. pr. & vb. n. Conversing. ] [ F. converser, L. conversari to associate with; con- + versari to be turned, to live, remain, fr. versare to turn often, v. intens. of vertere to turn See Convert. ] 1. To keep company; to hold intimate intercourse; to commune; -- followed by with. [ 1913 Webster ]

To seek the distant hills, and there converse
With nature. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conversing with the world, we use the world's fashions. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

But to converse with heaven -
This is not easy. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To engage in familiar colloquy; to interchange thoughts and opinions in a free, informal manner; to chat; -- followed by with before a person; by on, about, concerning, etc., before a thing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Companions
That do converse and waste the time together. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

We had conversed so often on that subject. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To have knowledge of, from long intercourse or study; -- said of things. [ 1913 Webster ]

According as the objects they converse with afford greater or less variety. Locke.

Syn. -- To associate; commune; discourse; talk; chat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Frequent intercourse; familiar communion; intimate association. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

'T is but to hold
Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Familiar discourse; free interchange of thoughts or views; conversation; chat. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formed by thy converse happily to steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. conversus, p. p. of convertere. See Convert. ] Turned about; reversed in order or relation; reciprocal; as, a converse proposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Logic) A proposition which arises from interchanging the terms of another, as by putting the predicate for the subject, and the subject for the predicate; as, no virtue is vice, no vice is virtue. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It should not (as is often done) be confounded with the contrary or opposite of a proposition, which is formed by introducing the negative not or no. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) A proposition in which, after a conclusion from something supposed has been drawn, the order is inverted, making the conclusion the supposition or premises, what was first supposed becoming now the conclusion or inference. Thus, if two sides of a sides of a triangle are equal, the angles opposite the sides are equal; and the converse is true, i.e., if these angles are equal, the two sides are equal. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a converse manner; with change of order or relation; reciprocally. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who engages in conversation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being converted or reversed. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. conversio: cf. F. conversion. See Convert. ] 1. The act of turning or changing from one state or condition to another, or the state of being changed; transmutation; change. [ 1913 Webster ]

Artificial conversion of water into ice. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The conversion of the aliment into fat. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of changing one's views or course, as in passing from one side, party, or from of religion to another; also, the state of being so changed. “Conversion to Christianity.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) An appropriation of, and dealing with the property of another as if it were one's own, without right; as, the conversion of a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Or bring my action of conversion
And trover for my goods. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Logic) The act of interchanging the terms of a proposition, as by putting the subject in the place of the predicate, or the contrary. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Math.) A change or reduction of the form or value of a proposition; as, the conversion of equations; the conversion of proportions. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mil.) (a) A change of front, as a body of troops attacked in the flank. (b) A change of character or use, as of smoothbore guns into rifles. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Theol.) A spiritual and moral change attending a change of belief with conviction; a change of heart; a change from the service of the world to the service of God; a change of the ruling disposition of the soul, involving a transformation of the outward life. [ 1913 Webster ]

He oft
Frequented their assemblies, . . . and to them preached
Conversion and repentance, as to souls
In prison under judgments imminent. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Capable of being converted or changed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Ready to converse; social. [ Archaic ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Incommunicative; unsocial; reserved. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not conversant; not acquainted; not versed; unfamiliar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A second conversion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being unconverted; impenitence. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

See abolishable.
See absolvable.
See absurd.
See abundant.
See accordant.
See adoptable.
See adventurous.
See affable.
See affectionate.
See afraid.
See alliable.
See allowable.
See alterable.
See ambiguous.
See ambitious.
See amendable.
See -American.
See amusive.
See angular.
See anxious.
See apocryphal.
See apostolic.
See apparent.
See appeasable.
See applausive.
See appreciable.
See apprehensible.
See apprehensive.
See approachable.
See artificial.
See artistic.
See assailable.
See attainable.
See attentive.
See authentic.
See available.
See bailable.
See bearable.
See beautiful.
See beliefful.
See believable.
See beneficial.
See benevolent.
See blamable.
See blemishable.
See blissful.
See boastful.
See bold.
See bookish.
See bounteous.
See bribable.
See brotherly.
See burdensome.
See businesslike.
See busy.
See candid.
See canonical.
See captious.
See careful.
See celestial.
See ceremonious.
See challengeable.
See changeable.
See chary.
See chastisable.
See cheerful.
See cheery.
See childish.
See chivalrous.
See choleric.
See christianlike.
See circumspect.
See civic.
See classible.
See classic.
See classical.
See cleanly.
See clear.
See clerical.
See clerklike.
See close.
See cloudy.
See clubbable.
See coagulable.
See cogitable.
See collectible.
See comic.
See commendable.
See commercial.
See communicable.
See communicative.
See compact.
See companionable.
See compassionate.
See compellable.
See competitive.
See complaisant.
See compliant. See complimentary.
See concealable.
See concurrent.
See conditionate.
See confinable.
See confutable.
See congealable.
See congenial.
See conjugal.
See conjunctive.
See conquerable.
See consecrate.
See containable.
See contaminate.
See contradictable.
See contrite.
See convenable.
See conventional.
See conversable.
See conversant.
See convertible.
See coquettish.
See cordial.
See corpulent.
See correspondent.
See corruptible.
See corruptive.
See costly.
See counselable.
See countable.
See counterfeit.
See courteous.
See courtierlike.
See courtly.
See crafty.
See creatable.
See critical.
See crystalline.
See cultivable.
See curious.
See customary.
See dangerous.
See daughterly.
See dead.
See deceivable.
See decidable.
See decipherable.
See declinable.
See decomposable.
See definable.
See delectable.
See deliberate.
See delightful.
See deliverable.
See democratic.
See demonstrable.
See demonstrative.
See deniable.
See derogatory.
See descendible.
See describable.
See desirable.
See desirous.
See despondent.
See devout.
See diaphanous.
See diligent.
See diminishable.
See discernible.
See disciplinable.
See discordant.
See discoverable.
See dissolvable.
See distinguishable.
See dividable.
See divine.
See domestic.
See doubtful.
[ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]