Definition of "conversation"

Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations‎

M. Nioche pressed his finger-tips together and slowly raised his shoulders. “A little conversation!” “Conversation—that’s it!” murmured Mademoiselle Noémie, who had caught the word. “The conversation of the best society.” “Our French conversation is famous, you know,” M. Nioche ventured to continue.

1876–1877, Henry James, Jr., chapter I, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877

When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.

All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. […] Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company

A little less conversation, a little more action please / All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me

1968, Mac Davis, Billy Strange (lyrics and music), “A Little Less Conversation”, performed by Elvis Presley

Yt chaunſed thatt a whole yere they had their converſacion with the congregacion there / and taught moche people in ſomoche thatt the diſciples off Antioche wer the fyrſt that wer called Chriſten.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], The Actes off the Apostles xj:, folios clxxi, recto – clxxi, verso

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Hebrews 13:5

There are many that take no heed what happeneth to others by bad conversation, and therefore overthrow themselves in the same manner through their own fault, not foreseeing dangers manifest.

1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps

I have desired him to inquire after Lovelace's life and conversation in town.

1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXVII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […]

Ariadne […] quitted her Lover Theseus, for the tumultuous Conversation of Bacchus.

1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of the Life of Sally Salisbury

Our travellers had happened to take up their residence at a house of exceeding good repute, whither Irish ladies of strict virtue, and many northern lasses of the same predicament, were accustomed to resort in their way to Bath. The landlady therefore would by no means have admitted any conversation of a disreputable kind to pass under her roof. Indeed, so foul and contagious are all such proceedings, that they contaminate the very innocent scenes where they are committed, and give the name of a bad house, or of a house of ill repute, to all those where they are suffered to be carried on.

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […]

So grosse is our conuersation, and dull is our apprehension: while mortall Sense, in vs, ruleth the common wealth of our litle world.

1570, John Dee, in H. Billingsley (trans.) Euclid, Elements of Geometry, Preface

Gone now are the "high-minded" style, the "adapted from literature" feel, the voice-over narration, and the abstract conversationing about ideas, values...

1983, James Frederick Mason, Hélène Joséphine Harvitt, The French review

...he has breakfasted me, dined me, conversationed me, absolutely caressed me. He has been really most kind and paternal...

1989, Robert L Gale, A Henry James encyclopedia

After all this conversationing, Scottie, my usual dance partner, was getting antsy and wanted to dance.

2002, Georgie Nickell, I Only Smoke on Thursdays