versatile

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪɫ]
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈvɝ.sə.təl/, [ˈvɝ.sə.ɾəl], /ˈvɝ.səˌtaɪl/
  • (Australia) IPA(key): /ˈvɜː.sə.təl/, /ˈvɜː.səˌtɑel/, [ˈvɜː.səˌtɑeɫ]

Adjective

versatile (comparative more versatile, superlative most versatile)

  1. (of a person) Capable of doing many things competently.
    • 2007 January 8, Jack Anderson, “Ruthanna Boris, Versatile Ballet Russe Dancer, Dies at 88”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 January 2021:
      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.
  2. (of an object, software, etc.) Having varied uses or many functions.
    • 1989 May, Jeff MacInnis, “Braving the Northwest Passage”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 592:
      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.
  3. Changeable or inconstant.
  4. (biology) Capable of moving freely in all directions.
    • 1996, William G. D'Arcy, edited by William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating, The anther: form, function, and phylogeny:
      The versatile anther is an important step up in flowering plant evolution and it may be the most widespread of all simple anther types.
  5. (LGBTQ) Willing to take either a penetrative (top) or receptive (bottom) role in anal sex.
    Synonyms: vers, (India) double-decker
    Coordinate terms: top, bottom, side
    • 2017, Simon LeVay, Gay, Straight, and the Reason why: The Science of Sexual Orientation‎[2]:
      Among men who do engage in anal intercourse, about one-quarter are tops, one-quarter are bottoms, and one-half are versatile.
  6. (BDSM) Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
    Synonyms: vers, switchy
    • 2004, queenchaser1158, “Horny Versatile TV/TS Wanted in Phoenix”, in alt.personals.gay (Usenet):
  7. (sex, loosely) Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Latin versātilis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

versatile (plural versatiles)

  1. versatile; easily changeable
  2. indecisive

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Romanian: versatil

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

From Latin versātilis, from versāre (“to turn, to twist”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /verˈsa.ti.le/
  • Rhymes: -atile
  • Hyphenation: ver‧sà‧ti‧le

Adjective

versatile m or f by sense (plural versatili)

  1. versatile
  2. all-round, all around, multiskilled

Derived terms

Anagrams

Latin

Adjective

versātile

  1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of versātilis

Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /versaˈtile/

Adjective

versatile f pl or n pl

  1. nominative/accusative feminine/neuter plural of versatil
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