conversational

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

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... colloquial informal chatty vernacular idiomatic casual

Opposites

formal literary stilted written

Word family

Derived forms conversationallyconversationalist

Related forms conversation converse conversant

Etymology

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

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# 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
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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