Word: conversant (adjective)

Associations

"Conversant" means that someone knows a lot about a subject or is familiar with it. It often describes a person who can talk easily and knowledgeably about a topic.

• Example 1: She is conversant with computer programming. (She knows a lot about programming.)
• Example 2: He is conversant in French. (He can speak French well.)
• Example 3: To work here, you must be conversant with the company’s policies. (You must understand the policies well.) A well-known synonym is "familiar." The difference is that "conversant" often suggests a deeper, more active knowledge, especially enough to discuss or use the subject, while "familiar" can mean just knowing a little or having seen something before.

Substitution

You can replace "conversant" with:

• knowledgeable (more formal, means having a lot of knowledge)
• familiar (less strong, means you know something but maybe not deeply)
• fluent (if talking about language skills) Changing the word can make the meaning stronger or weaker. For example, "knowledgeable" sounds more serious than "familiar."

Deconstruction

The word "conversant" comes from the verb "converse," which means to talk. The suffix "-ant" is used to make adjectives meaning "having the quality of." So "conversant" literally means "having the quality of talking with knowledge." It started being used in English in the late 1500s.

Inquiry

• What subjects are you conversant in? Can you talk about them easily?
• Have you ever had to become conversant in a new skill or language quickly?
• How does being conversant in a topic help you in school or work?