conversational C2+ Topic:Communication US /ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃənəl/ UK /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃənəl/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj relating to or resembling informal spoken conversation The textbook adopts a relaxed, conversational tone throughout. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · relating to or resembling... colloquialinformalchattyvernacularidiomaticcasual ↔ Opposites formalliterarystiltedwritten Word family Derived forms conversationallyconversationalist Related forms conversationconverseconversant Etymology AI details From conversation (from Latin conversatio 'frequent use, conversation', from conversari 'to live with, keep company') plus the adjectival suffix -al. conversatio Latin vertere Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Communication Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # conversational **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃənəl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃənəl/ ## Meanings 1. relating to or resembling informal spoken conversation ## Examples - The textbook adopts a relaxed, conversational tone throughout. ## Synonyms - colloquial - informal - chatty - vernacular - idiomatic - casual ## Antonyms - formal - literary - stilted - written ## Derived Forms - conversationally - conversationalist ## Related Forms - conversation - converse - conversant ## Roots and Affixes - Root: conversatio - Root: vertere ## Etymology From conversation (from Latin conversatio 'frequent use, conversation', from conversari 'to live with, keep company') plus the adjectival suffix -al. ## AI Etymology Conversational is from conversation (from Latin conversatio 'frequent use, conversation', from conversari 'to live with, keep company') plus the adjectival suffix -al. The ancestry passes through Latin conversatio and Latin vertere. The suffix -al forms an adjective of relation, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adjective, it means "relating to or resembling informal spoken conversation", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include conversation, converse, and conversant; derived forms include conversationally and conversationalist. ## Topics - Communication - Word Formation & Derivatives - Register & Style markdown