Dictionary

versatile en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈvɜː.səˌtɑel/ (Australia)
• [ˈvɜː.səˌtɑeɫ] (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• audio North Carolina
• /ˈvɝ.sə.təl/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈvɝ.səˌtaɪl/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈvɝ.sə.ɾəl] (Canada, General-American)
• [ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪɫ] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈvɜː.sə.təl/ (Australia)

Etymology

From Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“to turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“to turn”).

Meanings

1. (of a person) Capable of doing many things competently.
   • Ruthanna Boris, a versatile dancer and choreographer who was the first American ballerina to be a star of one of the prestigious Ballets Russes troupes of the ’40s, died Friday at her home in El Cerrito, Calif. She was 88. 2007 January 8, Jack Anderson, “Ruthanna Boris, Versatile Ballet Russe Dancer, Dies at 88”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2021:
2. (of an object, usually) Having varied uses or many functions.
   • The paddles were enormously versatile, serving as radio-antenna masts, shovels, ice prods, snow knives, and potential argument settlers—whoever had one in his hand at the time would win. 1989 May, Jeff MacInnis, “Braving the Northwest Passage”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 592:
3. Changeable or inconstant.
4. Capable of moving freely in all directions.
   • The versatile anther is an important step up in flowering plant evolution and it may be the most widespread of all simple anther types. 1996, William G. D'Arcy, edited by William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating, The anther: form, function, and phylogeny:
5. Synonym of vers (“Willing to take either a penetrative or receptive role in anal sex”).
   • Among men who do engage in anal intercourse, about one-quarter are tops, one-quarter are bottoms, and one-half are versatile. 2017, Simon LeVay, Gay, Straight, and the Reason why: The Science of Sexual Orientation:
6. Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
7. (broadly) Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.

Forms

Deriveds

unversatile · digital versatile disc · vers · versatilely · versatileness · versatilist · versatility

Synonyms

switchy · vers · vers

Translations (95)

nl veelzijdig (capable of doing many things competently) · sv ombytlig (changeable or inconstant) · eo ŝanĝiĝiva (capable of doing many things competently) · ru непостоя́нный (changeable or inconstant) · pl wersatylny (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · it versatile (capable of doing many things competently) · ca versàtil (having varied uses or many functions) · ka მრავალფუნქციონალური (having varied uses or many functions) · ka მრავალფეროვანი (capable of doing many things competently) · de gewandt (capable of doing many things competently) · fr polyvalent (having varied uses or many functions) · eo ŝanĝiĝpova (capable of doing many things competently) · hu sokoldalú (capable of doing many things competently) · de bewandt (capable of doing many things competently) · nl onstabiel (changeable or inconstant) · pl uniwersalny (having varied uses or many functions) · pt versátil (having varied uses or many functions) · bg многофункциона́лен (having varied uses or many functions) · de wandlungsfähig (changeable or inconstant) · pl wszechstronny (capable of doing many things competently) · ko 다재다능한 (capable of doing many things competently) · nl pluriform (capable of doing many things competently) · sv behändig (capable of doing many things competently) · nl wispelturig (changeable or inconstant) · fi monipuolinen (capable of doing many things competently) · pl uniwersalny (capable of doing many things competently) · grc πολύτροπος (changeable or inconstant) · pt versátil (changeable or inconstant) · nl wendbaar (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · tr değişken (changeable or inconstant) · eo multforma (capable of doing many things competently) · tr becerikli (capable of doing many things competently) · ro inconstant (changeable or inconstant) · nl capricieus (changeable or inconstant) · ru изме́нчивый (changeable or inconstant) · ro pivotant (changeable or inconstant) · nl versatiel (changeable or inconstant) · pl zmienny (changeable or inconstant) · tr elinden her iş gelen (capable of doing many things competently) · fi muuttuvainen (changeable or inconstant) · ru многофункциона́льный (having varied uses or many functions) · pl wersatylny (capable of doing many things competently) · ka ცვალებადი (changeable or inconstant) · sv mångsidig (having varied uses or many functions) · ro versatil (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · nl handig (having varied uses or many functions) · es multiuso (having varied uses or many functions) · ka მრავალმხრივი (capable of doing many things competently) · nl veelzijdig (having varied uses or many functions) · pl wielofunkcyjny (having varied uses or many functions) · fr versatile (changeable or inconstant) · es versátil (capable of doing many things competently) · sv kvick (capable of doing many things competently) · es multívoco (having varied uses or many functions) · bg многостранен (capable of doing many things competently) · gl versátil (having varied uses or many functions) · eo ŝanĝiĝkapabla (capable of doing many things competently) · de vielseitig (having varied uses or many functions) · ca versàtil (capable of doing many things competently) · ka მრავალფუნქციური (having varied uses or many functions) · fr polyvalent (capable of doing many things competently) · gv so-hyndaa (changeable or inconstant) · gv so-hyndaa (having varied uses or many functions) · ro versatil (having varied uses or many functions) · es versátil (having varied uses or many functions) · pt versátil (capable of doing many things competently) · ka მოძრავი (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · fi monipuolinen (having varied uses or many functions) · fr versatile (having varied uses or many functions) · de beweglich (capable of doing many things competently) · gl versátil (capable of doing many things competently) · grc πολύτροπος (having varied uses or many functions) · ro multilateral (capable of doing many things competently) · th สารพัดประโยชน์ (having varied uses or many functions) · sv pigg (capable of doing many things competently) · fi vaihteleva (changeable or inconstant) · da alsidig (having varied uses or many functions) · nl grillig (changeable or inconstant) · tr çok amaçlı (having varied uses or many functions) · ja 多目的 (having varied uses or many functions) · ro versatil (capable of doing many things competently) · ru разносторо́нний (capable of doing many things competently) · fi monikäyttöinen (having varied uses or many functions) · nl veranderlijk (changeable or inconstant) · eo plurforma (capable of doing many things competently) · sv belevad (capable of doing many things competently) · ro pivotant (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · de wendig (changeable or inconstant) · hu sokoldalú (having varied uses or many functions) · sv föränderlig (changeable or inconstant) · ka მერყევი (changeable or inconstant) · de versatil (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · ru подви́жный (biology: capable of moving freely in all directions) · eo ŝanĝiĝema (changeable or inconstant) · nl multiverseel (having varied uses or many functions)