ˈvərsəd. ə l, ˈvə̄s-, ˈvəis-, -sət ə l, -sə(ˌ)til sometimes -st ə l or -(ˌ)stil, chiefly Brit -səˌtīl adjective
Etymology: French or Latin; French versatile, from Latin versatilis, from versatus (past participle of versare, versari to turn, change, overturn, occupy oneself, be busy with, freq. of vertere to turn) + -ilis -ile — more at worth
1.
a. : marked by a tendency to change : fluctuating readily : changeable , variable
a versatile disposition
b. : easily swayed : fickle
a versatile faction
2.
a. : adapted to or embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills
his steady political wisdom and his vast and versatile erudition — American Guide Series: Ind.
b. : having a capacity for turning with ease from one thing to another : having a wide range of skills, aptitudes, or interests : many-sided
extremely versatile in the sense that he was a painter of portraits, of genre, of still life, and of landscape — Eliot Clark
the most versatile soprano now active — Irving Kolodin
3.
a.
(1) : capable of turning forward or backward : reversible
a versatile toe of a bird
(2) : capable of moving laterally and up and down
versatile antennae
b. of an anther : having the filaments attached at or near the middle so as to swing freely — compare basifixed
4.
a. : having many uses or applications
a handy, versatile material which you will find as veneer base and drawers in furniture, as cabinets and shelving — Monsanto Magazine
b. : capable of being worn in varied combinations or ways
versatile , packable separates — Woman's Home Companion
has evolved a versatile topcoat for a man who does a lot of traveling — New Yorker
5. : diversified
a versatile line of over 100 different papers — advt
Synonyms:
versatile , many-sided , and all-around can all suggest being 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
a versatile student
a versatile athlete
versatile interests
a versatile combat weapon
a versatile building material
many-sided applied to persons stresses breadth or diversity of interests or accomplishments; applied to things, their diversity of aspects, attributes, or uses
a many-sided scholar and citizen
a many-sided and truly civilized life — G.M.Trevelyan
a many-sided personality
a many-sided agreement — Manchester Guardian Weekly
all-around implies completeness or symmetry in development, generally or within a single activity with many phases, not necessarily implying any special or great attainments but rather a general ability to do oneself credit; when applied to things, it implies an analogous general usefulness
many observers have called him the best all-around reporter in the country — Stanley Walker
the all-around adaptability and quality of our men — A.B.Vosseller