Conversation

/ˌkɒnvərˈseɪʃən/

nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

1

A discussion between two or more people.

/ˌkɒnvərˈseɪʃən/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A spoken exchange of ideas, opinions, or feelings.

I had a long conversation with my friend yesterday.

💡 Simply: Imagine two friends chatting over coffee. That's a conversation! It's when people talk and listen to each other.

👶 For kids: Talking with someone.

More Examples

2

The conversation was interrupted by a phone call.

3

They were having a lively conversation about the movie.

How It's Used

General

"The conversation flowed easily between them."

Social

"They had a heated conversation about politics."

Formal

"The professor engaged the students in a lively conversation."

Idioms & expressions

small talk

Light, casual conversation about unimportant matters.

"They made some small talk about the weather before getting down to business."

carry on a conversation

To continue talking.

"They carried on a conversation for hours about their travels."

change the subject

To start talking about something different.

"The conversation was getting awkward, so she changed the subject."

From Latin *conversatio* ('frequent association, way of life, discourse'), from *conversari* ('to associate with, live with, frequent, keep company with'), from *con-* ('with, together') + *versari* ('to turn, be turned, move about').

The word 'conversation' has been used since the 14th century to describe spoken exchanges and social interaction.

Memory tip

Think of a 'con' joining with 'vers' to share ideas.

conversasionconversaton

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written