converse
gb/kˈɑnvɚs/ us/kˈɑnvɚs/
B2
English
~ 5900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
B2
action
1
to talk with someone
To talk with someone in a polite or thoughtful way.
Usage pattern:
to converse with [someone] about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *conversate* instead of *converse*; *conversate* is non-standard in most varieties of English. Many also confuse *converse* (verb) with *conversation* (noun); remember that *converse* is the action, and *have a conversation* is the phrase with the noun.
Synonyms
talk (Most general and common word; less formal than "converse".)
|
chat (Suggests light, informal talk; "converse" can sound more serious or thoughtful.)
|
discuss (Focuses on exchanging opinions about a specific topic; "converse" is more general.)
Antonyms
ignore (Not paying attention to someone instead of talking with them.)
|
be silent (Not speaking at all instead of exchanging words.)
Collocations
converse with friends
|converse freely
|converse fluently
|converse in [a language]
|converse about [something]
Themes
communication
|social life
|daily_life
Examples
- Guests were encouraged to mingle and converse with people they didn’t know.
- We spent the entire train ride conversing about politics and culture.
- She can converse fluently in three languages.
- It was difficult to converse with him over the loud music.
- They often converse late into the night about books and philosophy.
Learner examples
- I like to converse with my grandparents about their lives.
- In class, students often converse in English only.
- We sat in a café and conversed for two hours.
- He is shy and does not easily converse with strangers.
unknown
formal
C1
property
2
being the opposite case
Describing something that is the exact opposite of another thing.
Usage pattern:
the converse [situation/effect/relationship]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this adjective with the verb *converse* meaning "to talk". When *converse* means "opposite", it is usually used before a noun (e.g., *converse effect*) or in phrases like *the converse is also true*.
Synonyms
opposite (Most common general word; *converse* sounds more formal and is used especially in academic or technical contexts.)
|
reverse (Similar meaning, but often stresses order or direction; *converse* focuses more on logical or relational opposition.)
Antonyms
same (Describes something not different or opposite.)
|
equivalent (Indicates two things have the same value or effect, not an opposite one.)
Collocations
converse effect
|converse relationship
|converse situation
|converse case
|in the converse direction
Themes
logic
|mathematics
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- In some countries, the rich and poor live in completely converse conditions.
- The drug can have converse effects depending on the dose.
- Their public image and their private behavior are often in converse relation.
- While her brother is outgoing, she has a very converse personality.
- The two teams followed converse strategies: one attacked constantly, the other defended deeply.
Learner examples
- In this study, we saw converse results in men and women.
- The two ideas are not the same; they are converse.
- Hot and cold are converse states.
- Sometimes the converse situation can also happen.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
the opposite of something
The thing that is the opposite of another thing.
Usage pattern:
the converse of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that *the converse* almost always needs *the* and usually refers back to a previous statement: *You say X; I believe the converse.* It is not used to mean any random "conversation."
Synonyms
opposite (Most general term; *the converse* is used more in formal or logical discussion.)
|
reverse (Similar in meaning, but sometimes suggests order or direction more than logical relation.)
Antonyms
equivalent (Describes something that has the same value or effect, rather than being opposite.)
Collocations
the converse
|in the converse
|the converse of this
|prove the converse
|the converse holds
Themes
logic
|mathematics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You argue that stress causes illness; I would say the converse, that illness can cause stress.
- If A implies B, we must check whether the converse is also true.
- The study found that the converse of the previous claim did not hold.
- We know this statement is true, but its converse remains unproven.
- He believes that freedom leads to responsibility, but the converse may also apply.
Learner examples
- You think money brings happiness; some people believe the converse.
- This rule is true, but we do not know if the converse is true.
- Scientists tested the converse of the old idea.
- In this case, the converse does not work.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
reversed form of a conditional
In math or logic, the new sentence you get when you change "If A, then B" to "If B, then A."
Usage pattern:
the converse of [a statement/theorem]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse *converse* with *inverse* or *contrapositive* in logic. The converse only swaps the "if" and "then" parts; it does not add *not* or change truth values automatically.
Synonyms
reverse implication (Describes a similar idea but is less standard as a set term than *converse* in logic.)
Antonyms
original statement (The starting conditional statement before its parts are reversed.)
Collocations
converse of a theorem
|converse of the statement
|true converse
|false converse
|prove the converse
Themes
logic
|mathematics
|education
|science
Examples
- In geometry, you must check whether the converse of the theorem is also valid.
- The statement is true, but its converse is false.
- Students were asked to write the converse of each conditional sentence.
- The proof of the converse turned out to be much harder than the original result.
Learner examples
- In class, we learned how to find the converse of a conditional.
- Sometimes a rule is true, but its converse is not true.
- Please write the converse of the sentence: "If a figure is a square, then it has four sides."
Noun
archaic
C2
event
5
an instance of conversation
An old-fashioned word meaning a talk between people.
Usage pattern:
to hold converse with [someone]
Common mistake:
Modern learners sometimes think this noun sense is still common because they see it in older literature. In everyday modern English, use *conversation* instead of *converse* as a noun.
Synonyms
conversation (Modern standard term; *converse* in this sense is now rare and literary.)
Antonyms
silence (The absence of talking or conversation.)
Collocations
hold converse with
|in quiet converse
|pleasant converse
|private converse
Themes
communication
|literature
|daily_life
Examples
- In the old novel, gentlemen and ladies engaged in quiet converse by the fire.
- He sought private converse with the king to present his request.
- Their brief converse left a deep impression on him.
Learner examples
- In this old story, two friends sit in converse for many hours.
- The poet writes about his evening converse with a stranger.
- You may see this word for conversation in very old books.
Grammar
Dictionary form
converse
IPA
GB/kˈɑnvɚs/
US/kˈɑnvɚs/
Syllables & stress
con - verse (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (con)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: converse
- Plural: converse
Verb
- Base: converse
- 3rd Person Singular: converses
- Present Participle: conversing
- Past: conversed
Word family
Forms
converses
verb
conversing
verb
conversed
verb
Core family
conversation
noun A2
conversational
adjective
Related words
conversationalist
noun
conversationally
adverb
Advanced or less common
conversant
adjective
Expressions
converse with
1/kˈɑnvɚs wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
talk with someone
To talk with someone, often in a calm or polite way.
Examples
- During the break, participants had time to converse with the speakers.
- She enjoys conversing with people from different cultures.
- Residents were invited to converse with local officials about the new plan.
the converse is true
1/ðə kˈɑnvɚs ˈɪz tɹˈu/
fixed phrase
formal
the opposite statement is also true
Used to say that the opposite of a statement is also correct.
Examples
- If exercise can improve mood, the converse is true as well: lack of exercise can worsen it.
- The study shows that wealth reduces stress, but we cannot assume that the converse is true.
- In this case, both the original statement and the converse are true.