converse

1 of 4

verb

con·​verse kən-ˈvərs 

conversed; conversing; converses

intransitive verb

1

: to exchange thoughts and opinions in spoken words or sign language : talk

We spent a few minutes conversing about the weather.

The leaders were bellowing so loudly that you had to shout to converse with your dinner partner.

—Christopher Buckley

2

archaic : to have acquaintance or familiarity : to become occupied or engaged

… admonished them to study … the universe, to converse with nature, to observe the heavenly influences; …

—Robert Ainsworth

… a secluded scholar, living in his study and conversing almost exclusively with books.

—Cornelius C. Felton

converser

kən-ˈvər-sər 

noun

plural conversers

converse

2 of 4

noun (1)

con·​verse ˈkän-ˌvərs 

1

dated : conversation

… Mrs Walker, like many other mothers, was apt to be more free in converse with her daughter than she was with her son.

—Anthony Trollope

Graham Bretton had dined with us that day; he had shone both in converse and looks.

—Charlotte Brontë

2

archaic : social interaction

converse

3 of 4

noun (2)

con·​verse ˈkän-ˌvərs 

: something reversed in order, relation, or action: such as

a

: a theorem formed by interchanging the hypothesis and conclusion of a given theorem

b

: a proposition obtained by interchange of the subject and predicate of a given proposition

"No P is S " is the converse of "no S is P. "

converse

4 of 4

adjective

con·​verse kən-ˈvərs  ˈkän-ˌvərs 

1

: reversed in order, relation, or action

Socrates, while he said that the true tragic writer was also an artist in comedy, did not lay down the converse proposition that the true comic writer is also an artist in tragedy.

—Samuel Alexander

2

: being a logical or mathematical converse

the converse theorem

Synonyms

Verb

• babble
• blab
• cackle
• chaffer [British]
• chat
• chatter
• chin [slang]
• gab
• gabble
• gas
• jabber
• jaw
• kibitz
• kibbitz
• natter
• palaver
• patter
• prate
• prattle
• rap
• rattle
• run on
• schmooze
• shmooze
• talk
• twitter
• visit

Noun (1)

• chat
• colloquy
• conversation
• dialogue
• dialog
• discourse
• discussion
• exchange

Examples of converse in a Sentence

Verb

They conversed quietly in the corner of the room.

At home we often converse in Spanish.

Adjective

One must also consider the converse case.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Artificial intelligence allows guests to converse with civil rights leaders. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

Compared to Theodore’s old operating system that ran on monotonous voice commands, Samantha’s conversational capabilities unlocked a whole new type of experience that mirrors our real-life upgrade from giving Alexa voice commands to actually conversing with ChatGPT. —Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023

In the clip, the pair were captured conversing among various other Bachelor nation stars, who were also in attendance to celebrate Harrison's nuptials. —Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023

Joy Buolamwini, a researcher of AI harms profiled in the feature with Gebru and Chowdhury, conversed with Altman in one of his last events as CEO. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023

Shortly after he was awakened and began conversing with DePape, Pelosi walked into a bathroom and called 911, the government says. —Michael Finnegan, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023

Characters based on other people’s likenesses — including the former quarterback Tom Brady, the social media influencers Mr. Beast and Charlie D’Amelio, and the hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg — were also available to converse. —Cade Metz, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023

Relatives recalled young Alexey as a friendly kid who blended in easily and, by the end of each summer, conversed easily in the local Ukrainian dialect, which had some Belarusian mixed in. —David M. Herszenhorn, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023

We’re splayed out on the grass, each of us in front of full-length mirrors, having just conversed, out loud, with our reflections for three minutes. —Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023

Noun

After inviting the uncle’s spirit to the hut, Kulas converses back and forth with the spirit by throwing a pair of weathered jiaobei, or wooden divination blocks, on the floor. —Brendan Ross, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023

Beatriz and the pianist converse briefly in stilted English, neither’s first choice of language. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023

Talking things out is possible as the perceptive Moon in your social sector converses with amiable Venus in your conversation zone. —Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2023

In 2046, a marine biologist (Sienna Miller) converses with the world’s last humpback whale, through software that translates cetacean-speak into the voice of her mother (Streep). —James Poniewozik, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023

Kylie was wearing a red and white Kool-Aid hoodie, matching sweatpants and white converse sneakers. —Carol Robinson | [e-mail], al, 12 May 2022

Hughes converses with family members, parts of his professional team and collaborators from every phase of his career, from Snoop Dogg to the late Shock G to Gridlock’d co-star Tim Roth. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2023

The season's fourth episode, which arrived on Paramount+ Thursday, highlights the many differences between Jack and Jean-Luc as the two converse over drinks. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2023

The original text is a sprawling dream narrative in which a figure known as the Lover, having become enamored of a rose, converses with dozens of allegorical figures, including the God of Love, Lady Reason, and Shame. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to live (with), from Anglo-French converser, from Latin conversari

Noun (1)

Middle English convers, from Anglo-French converse, from converser

Noun (2) and Adjective

Latin conversus, past participle of convertere — see convert entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1570, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing converse

• the converse

• the converse

Kids Definition

converse

1 of 3 verb

con·​verse kən-ˈvərs 

conversed; conversing

: to engage in conversation : talk

converser noun

converse

2 of 3 noun

con·​verse ˈkän-ˌvərs 

: something that is the opposite of something else

converse

3 of 3 adjective

con·​verse kən-ˈvərs 

ˈkän-ˌvərs

: reversed in order, relation, or action

conversely adverb

Etymology

Verb

Middle English conversen "to live with," from early French converser (same meaning), from Latin conversari "to pass one's life, be associated with," derived from convertere "to turn around, change," from con- "with, together" and vertere "to turn" — related to anniversary, converse entry 3, controversy, divert, reverse, universe, vertical, versatile, vice versa

Adjective

from Latin conversus, past participle of convertere "to turn around, change," from con- "with, together" and vertere "to turn" — related to converse entry 1