[a. F. versatilité (= It. versatilità, Sp. versatilidad, Pg. -idade), or directly f. prec. + -ITY.]
1. The condition or quality in persons, their conduct, etc., of being changeable, fickle or inconstant; tendency or liability to vary in opinion or action; variableness, inconstancy.
1755. Johnson, Versatility, the quality of being versatile.
1782. V. Knox, Ess., xii. (1819), I. 71. This versatility and duplicity of the grande monde.
1783. W. Thomson, Watson’s Philip III., v. 324. To his holiness, whom they suspected of a versatility of character, which might soon lead him to relapse:… they answered [etc.].
1814. D’Israeli, Quarrels Auth. (1867), 346. We are apt to condemn their versatility of principles as arising from dishonest motives.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Engl., ii. I. 213. Ashley’s versatility was the effect, not of levity, but of deliberate selfishness.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., VII. ii. III. 168. He might indeed dread the versatility of Henry’s character, and his ready assent to the advice of flattering … counsellors.
2. The faculty or character of turning or being able to turn readily to a new subject or occupation, esp. of an intellectual nature; facility in taking up varied pursuits or tasks with some success or distinction; many-sidedness.
1798. Bisset, Life Burke, 210. Wedderburne [was] eminent for acuteness, versatility, and ingenuity.
1827. Scott, Surg. Dau., x. His intelligence, his learning, above all, his versatility and freedom from prejudices of every kind.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vi. § 6 (1876), 325. It was with Italian versatility that he turned from the camp to the counting house.
1882. J. Sully, in Mind, No. 27. 366. In the scientific treatment of the subject … we shall make versatility synonymous with width of faculty, or diversity of capability in all its measures.
b. Const. of (wit, character, etc.).
a. 1773. Chesterf., Charac. Pitt (1777), 46. He … had such a versatility of wit, that he would adopt it to all sorts of conversation.
a. 1842. Arnold, Hist. Rome, II. 495. Cineas … was in the versatility and range of his talents worthy of the best ages of Greece.
1853. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk. (1873), II. I. ii. 70. Not often indeed do the Oriental nations present us with an example of versatility of character.
1866. Felton, Anc. & Mod. Gr., I. xii. 231. [Aristophanes] reminds us … still oftener of the splendid versatility of poetical genius … displayed by Goethe.
c. pl. Features or traits of versatile intellect.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1859), II. 123. A voluminous commentary expounded the morality of the ravishing versatilities of Ariosto.
3. Diversity of nature or character; variety of application, etc.
1802. Playfair, Illustr. Hutton. The., 339. The Huttonian system cannot boast of theories of equal versatility.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), II. 419. The symptoms, that principally mark the progress of this disease in all their versatility;… it is this versatility that has produced the chief differences of opinion, entertained concerning it.
1871. Earle, Philol. Eng. Tongue, 458. The Book of Proverbs abounds in examples of the versatility of the Hebrew and.
1879. Church, Spenser, 35. The inexhaustible versatility of the English tongue.
4. Capability of turning about as on a pivot.
1884. Coues, Key N. Amer. Birds, 126. We have no case of true versatility of the hind toe among North American birds.
