conversant, a. (and n.)
(ˈkɒnvəsənt, kənˈvɜːsənt)
Also 4–5 (north.) -and, 4–6 -aunt.
[ME., a. OF. conversant, pr. pple. of converser:—L. conversānt-em, pr. pple. of conversārī to converse. Originally converˈsant, whence later ˈconversant; conˈversant, given by J. and various orthoepists, was not recognized by the poets, nor by current use at the end of the 19th c., but has since become common.]
A. adj. (usually predicative).
† 1. Dwelling habitually or frequently, accustomed to live or abide, passing much of one's time, in a place. (With various preps. and advbs.)
| [1292 Britton i. xxx. §9 Et hors pris ausi ceux qi ne sount mie conversauntz et continuelment demorauntz en les hundrez.] 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4198 He [Anticrist] sal be lered..And nurist and mast conversand In þe cite of Bethsayda. 1382 Wyclif 1 Sam. xii. 2 My sones ben with ȝow; also conversaunt before ȝou. 1413 Lydg. Pilgr. Sowle iv. ii. (1483) 59 In his..fayre braunches the birdes ben alwey couersaunt. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 25 My selfe there wonned, and there was conversaunt. 1555 Eden Decades 31 They are whyte..sauynge suche as are much conuersant in the sonne. 1610 P. Barrough Meth. Physick ii. vi. (1639) 80 It is good to have the sick conversant in a hot house. 1704 Addison Italy Ded., They who have been conversant abroad. 1766 Pennant Zool. (1768) I. 170 On marshy and muddy grounds, where they are conversant. c 1820 G. S. Faber 8 Dissert. (1845) II. 8 By reason of Christ's being visibly and personally conversant within its precincts. |
2. a. Living or associating with in familiar intercourse; having regular or frequent intercourse with (together); on terms of familiarity with.
| c 1400 Mandeville (1839) x. 113 Oure lady..was conuersant with hire sone xxxiij ȝeer and iij monethes. 1488 Caxton Chast. Goddes Chyld. 20 All men that hem knew or be with hem conuersaunt or famylier. 1583 Exec. for Treason (1675) 43 They lived and were conversant in company of the principal Rebels. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 120 They were much conuersant together. 1611 Bible 1 Sam. xxv. 15 Neither missed we any thing as long as wee were conuersant with them. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 154 ¶1, I am afraid you have been very little conversant with Women. 1784 Cowper Task v. 815 Much conversant with Heaven. 1832 H. Martineau Each & All i. 3 She had been conversant with many ranks of society. |
† b. Having familiar intercourse in (a family, etc.), among (people, etc.), about (a place). Obs. (a) in:—
| a 1400 Cov. Myst. 379 Tho whiche..Han be conversaunt here longe before In oure Company. 1474 Caxton Chesse 72, I haue my self ben conuersaunt in a religious hows of whyt freres. 1580 Baret Alv. C 1241 Conuersant in princes courtes. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. iv. iii. (1675) 187 When I had occasion to be conversant in great Mens Families. 1788 V. Knox Winter Even. III. viii. viii. 152, I had been much more conversant in a college library than in a circulating one. |
(b) among:—
| a 1340 Hampole Psal. xxv. 6 Conuersaunt among innocentis bodely & gostly. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 40 Hyt behoueth a kyng to..be conuersant amongis them [his people] without ouermoche famylyarite. 1683 Dryden Life Plutarch 35 Pliny the younger was..conversant among them in Asia. a 1805 Paley Serm. xx. (1825) VI. 198 The beings with whom we converse, or amongst whom we are conversant. |
(c) about:—
| a 1704 Locke (J.), A man conversant about Whitehall and the court. |
† 3. a. Occupied, busied, or engaged in; having one's activity or attention engaged in or among (affairs, objects of study or inquiry, etc.) Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Ecclus. xxxix. 3 He schal be conuersaunt in the hid thingis of parablis. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 56 Much matter wherein to be conversant. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iii. §4 Studies have an influence and operation upon the manners of those that are conversant in them. 1647 Lilly Chr. Astrol. lxiv. 398 He was a meer Fisherman, or man conversant in water. 1710 Addison Tatler No. 216 ¶1 It is, methinks, the Mark of a little Genius to be wholly conversant among Insects, Reptiles, Animalcules. 1769 Goldsm. Roman Hist. II. 211 As she had been long conversant in this horrid practice. 1809 Kendall Trav. I. xxv. 246 A Jew, skilled in mineralogy..has been conversant among these mountains. 1842 H. Rogers Introd. Burke's Wks. 64 Men too much conversant in office are rarely minds of remarkable enlargement. |
b. Concerned, occupied, or having to do with (things).
| 1595 Shakes. John iv. iii. 70 Neuer to be infected with delight, Nor conuersant with Ease and Idlenesse Till, etc. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 130 Thou and all angels conversant on earth With man or men's affairs. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 61 ¶1 The Scholar has been very conversant with Books, and the other with Men only. |
† c. Occupied or employed about; having one's activity or attention exercised about, upon. Obs.
| 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. i. ii. ii. vi. (1651) 85 Such as are conversant or imployed about any office or business. 1622 Donne Serm. (1624) 8 He [Bp. of Rome] is euermore too conuersant vpon the contemplation of temporall kingdomes. 1646 H. Lawrence Comm. Angells 4 To shewe what the Divell is conversant about. 1806 K. White Let. 25 June, God..is as intently conversant about the smallest as about the greatest things. 1828 Whately Rhet. ii. §7 He had been..long conversant about corn. |
4. fig. of things: Exercised in, concerned about (touching); dealing or having to do with; having for its object or sphere. a. in:—
| a 1600 Hooker (J.), The matters wherein church policy is conversant. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. xx. §8 The controversies wherein moral philosophy is conversant. 1754 Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. i. 47 Is not Justice conversant in Rewards and Punishments? 1875 Lightfoot Comm. Col. & Philem. (1876) 273 Physical science is conversant in experiment; logical science in argumentation. |
b. about:—
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxviii. §6 The object whereabout the contemplations and actions of the Church are properly conversant. 1660 Trial Regic. 12 There are three things, touching which the Law is conversant..Persons, Things, and Actions. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. 329 Public virtue being..conversant about great concerns. 1827 Whately Logic ii. ii. §2 note, Logic is entirely conversant about language. |
c. with:—
| 1803 Mackintosh Def. Peltier Wks. 1846 III. 249 That philosophy which is conversant with human affairs. 1850 Daubeny Atom. Th. ii. (ed. 2) 58 Chemistry..had..been conversant merely with the qualities of matter. |
5. Versed or experienced in; ‘well up’ in.
| 1573 Abp. Parker Corr. (1853) 424 Some whom he judgeth to be conversant in histories. a 1626 Bacon Q. Eliz. Wks. (Bohn) 487 She was very conversant in the Scriptures and writings of the fathers. 1635 Swan Spec. M. vii. §3 (1643) 341 One well versed or conversant in these things. 1786 Sir J. Reynolds Disc. xiii. (1876) 76 A great master who is thoroughly conversant in the nature of man. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 45 All the languages in which Milton was conversant. |
b. Familiar or intimately acquainted with (anything), as a result of having been occupied with it.
| 1726 De Foe Hist. Devil i. vii. (1840) 82 They are conversant with other parts of God's creation. 1771 Junius Lett. liv. 282, I speak to facts with which all of us are conversant. 1863 Bright Sp. Amer. 16 June, Those men who are most conversant with American affairs. 1878 Lecky Eng. in 18th C. I. iii. 412 Like Walpole..he was thoroughly conversant with questions of finance. |
c. with on.
| 1778 F. Burney Evelina xvii, The young man..seemed to be very conversant on the subject. |
† 6. Of things: Frequently occurring and hence familiarly known, familiar. Obs.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xvii, The vile serpent the Leuiathan..Whych of kynde is neuer conuersaunt. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) v. 609 These thynges be now so conuersaunt, we seme it no shame. 1601 Cornwallyes Disc. Seneca (1631) 13 The most pleasing and most conversant thoughts of the best contented minds are descended from hope. 1651 Fuller Abel Rediv., Bullinger 334 To imbrace a pure worship of the Lord, which had not yet been conversant amongst them. |
† 7. ? Familiarly known, frequented. rare.
| 1461 Paston Lett. No. 400 II. 26 She thynkyth the place is right conversaunt of pupyll for hyr to abeyd in, for she kepyth hyr as close as she may for spyyng. |
8. Having the quality of conversing, ready to converse; conversable. rare.
| 1804 Man in Moon 92 He..was polite and attentive to the women, and friendly and conversant with the men. 1831 Fraser's Mag. III. 408 Fluent without volubility, and conversant without loquaciousness. |
B. n.
† 1. A person who ‘converses’ or is intimate with another; a familiar acquaintance. Obs.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxv. (Arb.) 306 Some such..secret disease, as the common conuersant can hardly discouer. 1650 T. Hubbert Pill Formality 221 Not thy familiar acquaintance, nor thy intimate conversants. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 114 While Fools their Conversants possess As unawares with Sottishness. |
† 2. One who leads a ‘religious’ or monastic life: see conversāre in Du Cange.
| 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 149 Some women of that Colledge..whom they call Conversants, encouraging me, with their exhortations, to persevere in my holy purpose. |