versatile

versatile
versatile, many-sided, all-around can all mean marked by or showing skill or ability or capacity or usefulness of many different kinds. When applied to persons, versatile stresses aptitude and facility in many different activities requiring skill or ability, especially the ability to turn with no diminution in skill from one activity to another without a hitch; applied to things, it stresses their multiple and diverse qualities, uses, or possibilities
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a versatile student

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the most versatile soprano now active— Kolodin

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versatile interests

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a versatile combat weapon

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a versatile building material

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Many-sided applied to persons stresses breadth or diversity of interests or accomplishments; applied to things, their diversity of aspects, attributes, or uses
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a many-sided scholar and citizen

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a many-sided and truly civilized life— Trevelyan

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a many-sided personality

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a many-sided agreement— Manchester Guardian

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All-around implies completeness or symmetry in development, either general or within a single activity with many phases; the term need not imply special or great attainments but rather a general ability to do oneself credit; when applied to things, it implies an analogous general usefulness
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many observers have called him the best all-around reporter in the country— Walker

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the all-around adaptability and quality of our men— Vosseller

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Analogous words: gifted, talented (see corresponding nouns at GIFT): accomplished, finished, *consummate: ready, apt, *quick, prompt

New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.

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  • versatile — [ vɛrsatil ] adj. • 1588; épée versatile « à deux tranchants » 1530; lat. versatilis, de versare → verser ♦ Sujet à changer facilement d opinion; exposé à des revirements soudains. ⇒ changeant, inconstant, lunatique. Un esprit, un caractère… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Versatile — Ver sa*tile, a. [L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn around, v. freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See {Verse}.] 1. Capable of being turned round. Harte. [1913 Webster] 2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Versatile — is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced augers, swathers, combine harvesters and most notably tractors. The company, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, currently belongs to Buhler Industries. In the 1970s, it was an… …   Wikipedia

  • versatile — [vʉr′sə təl; ] chiefly Brit [, vʉr′sətīl΄] adj. [Fr < L versatilis, that turns around, movable, versatile < versatus, pp. of versare, to turn often, freq. of vertere, to turn: see VERSE] 1. a) competent in many things; able to turn easily… …   English World dictionary

  • versatile — index artful, mutable, pliable, protean, resourceful Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • versatile — /ver satile/ agg. [dal lat. versatĭlis, der. di versare girare ]. 1. [di persona, capacità e sim., che sa volgersi a opere e attività diverse: ingegno v. ] ▶◀ eclettico, flessibile, multiforme, poliedrico, proteiforme. ‖ articolato. ◀▶ rigido.… …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • versatile — c.1600, from L. versatilis turning, revolving, moving, capable of turning to varied subjects or tasks, from pp. stem of versare keep turning, be engaged in something, turn over in the mind, frequentative of vertere to turn (see VERSUS (Cf.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • versatile — [adj] adjustable, flexible able, accomplished, adaptable, adroit, all around, all purpose, ambidextrous, conversant, dexterous, elastic, facile, functional, gifted, handy, ingenuous, many sided, mobile, multifaceted, plastic, pliable, protean,… …   New thesaurus

  • versatile — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities. DERIVATIVES versatility noun. ORIGIN Latin versatilis, from versare turn about, revolve …   English terms dictionary

  • versatile — 01. Singh is a [versatile] player, strong on both offence and defense. 02. The [versatility] of this van has made it the most popular family vehicle on the road today. 03. This [versatile] tool has a number of different uses in the home. 04.… …   Grammatical examples in English

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