# Conversant In/Conversant With

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversant-in-conversant-with/441208>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversant-in-conversant-with/441208 "2008-03-13T02:37:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversant-in-conversant-with/441208/1 "2008-03-13T02:37:16Z")

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Is it correct to say:

Amy is conversant in French literature.

or

Amy is conversant with French literature.

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversant-in-conversant-with/441208/2 "2008-03-13T02:43:06Z")

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With - see [Sense 3](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversant).

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversant-in-conversant-with/441208/3 "2008-03-13T02:46:21Z")

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The official usage seems to be “conversant with” but I think many people make the link that it sounds like “conversing with” and use “in” because “conversing with a subject is wierd.”