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conversation

noun
con·​ver·​sa·​tion | \ ˌkän-vər-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce conversation (audio) \

Definition of conversation

1a(1) : oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas … we had talk enough but no conversation; there was nothing discussed.— Samuel Johnson
(2) : an instance of such exchange : talk a quiet conversation
b : an informal discussion of an issue by representatives of governments, institutions, or groups conversations among the senators
c : an exchange similar to conversation We had a conversation by e-mail.
2 obsolete : conduct, behavior
Other Words from conversation Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about conversation

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Other Words from conversation

conversational \ ˌkän-​vər-​ˈsā-​shnəl How to pronounce conversational (audio) , -​shə-​nᵊl \ adjective
conversationally adverb

Examples of conversation in a Sentence

Do you remember our conversation about that new movie? We got into a long conversation about his behavior. They were engaged in a lengthy conversation about politics. The topic came up in conversation. They were so deep in conversation that they barely noticed me. He kept trying to engage me in conversation. She's skilled in the art of conversation. an interesting topic of conversation We had a conversation by e-mail.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The senior military leadership at the Defense Department has been urgently pressing Esper to follow his predecessor’s example and be an advocate for the refugee program, according to people familiar with the conversations in the Pentagon. — Michael D. Shear, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump administration considers a drastic cut in refugees allowed to enter the US," 6 Sep. 2019 According to a recent conversation with McDaniel professor Pam Zappardino, there are approximately 587 students in the freshman class. — Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Dayhoff: Vetville has a storied past in post-World War II Westminster," 4 Sep. 2019 Here's the most interesting excerpts from Aresco's conversation with reporters on a range of those issues: How important are these marquee non-conference games, not just to schedule them but to be competitive or win? — Fletcher Page, Cincinnati.com, "Commissioner Mike Aresco addresses AAC football's future after UConn's exit," 3 Sep. 2019 During the conversation, Ma and Musk riffed off of a number of topics related to AI, including work hours, education, life expectancy, and migrating to Mars. — Echo Huang, Quartz, "Jack Ma and Elon Musk are pretty worried about a looming population collapse," 29 Aug. 2019 Bevell snapped back at the coach during a phone conversation from the sideline to the coaches box. — Robert Klemko, SI.com, "Darrell Bevell Bounces Back Again, This Time in Detroit," 29 Aug. 2019 The conversations in the group, which has more than 18,000 members and is not administered by the TSA, shed some light on the content of the training. — ProPublica, "When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side," 26 Aug. 2019 Administration officials said Trump was noncommittal when the leaders discussed the subject of a message to Iran during a conversation about Iran’s nuclear program. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Trump sends mixed messages to China on trade war," 25 Aug. 2019 Wiretapped conversations in San Juan revealed that Gerena, the $7 million and Hartford’s politically energized Puerto Rican community were enmeshed in an armed rebellion thousands of miles to the south. — Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, "New film revisits man behind infamous Wells Fargo robbery in West Hartford in 1983 by Puerto Rican nationalists," 24 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conversation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of conversation

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for conversation

Middle English conversacioun, from Anglo-French conversacion, from Latin conversation-, conversatio, from conversari to associate with, frequentative of convertere to turn around

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More Definitions for conversation

conversation

noun
How to pronounce conversation (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of conversation

: an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way
: something that is similar to a spoken conversation

See the full definition for conversation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

conversation

noun
con·​ver·​sa·​tion | \ ˌkän-vər-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce conversation (audio) \

Kids Definition of conversation

: a talk between two or more people : the act of talking

Other Words from conversation

conversational \ -​shə-​nᵊl \ adjective

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More from Merriam-Webster on conversation

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with conversation

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for conversation

Spanish Central: Translation of conversation

Nglish: Translation of conversation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of conversation for Arabic Speakers

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