converse
1 Americanadjective
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opposite or contrary in direction, action, sequence, etc.; turned around.
noun
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something opposite or contrary.
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Logic.
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a proposition obtained from another proposition by conversion.
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the relation between two terms, one of which is related to the other in a given manner, as “younger than” to “older than.”
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a group of words correlative with a preceding group but having a significant pair of terms interchanged, as “hot in winter but cold in summer” and “cold in winter but hot in summer.”
noun
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Frederick Shepherd 1871–1940, U.S. composer.
verb
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to engage in conversation (with)
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to commune spiritually (with)
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obsolete
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to associate; consort
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to have sexual intercourse
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noun
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conversation (often in the phrase hold converse with )
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obsolete
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fellowship or acquaintance
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sexual intercourse
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adjective
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(prenominal) reversed; opposite; contrary
noun
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something that is opposite or contrary
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logic
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a categorical proposition obtained from another by the transposition of subject and predicate, as no bad man is bald from no bald man is bad
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a proposition so derived, possibly by weakening a universal proposition to the corresponding particular, as some socialists are rich from all rich men are socialists
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logic maths a relation that holds between two relata only when a given relation holds between them in reverse order: thus father of is the converse of son of
Related Words
See speak.
Other Word Forms
- conversely adverb
- converser noun
Etymology
Origin of converse1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English conversen, from Middle French converser, from Latin conversārī “to associate with”; con-, verse
Origin of converse2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English convers, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin conversus, past participle of convertere “to turn around,” equivalent to con- “with, together” + vert- “to turn” + -tus past participle suffix; convert 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Reddit-like pseudo social network for OpenClaw agents called Moltbook, where chatbots converse, has also grabbed headlines and provoked soul-searching over AI.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
However, their children frequently struggled to converse with it.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
I can’t speak for your coworker as to his reasoning but the converse of what I just wrote gives hints as to why some people may leave their funds with their former employer’s plan.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026
Mikey Resendez, all smiles and red converse shoes, sat down in the morning and thanked Styles for his haircut before it was even done.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025
With that, she slammed her door shut and could not be persuaded to converse any further.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
