fluent

adjective

flu·​ent ˈflü-ənt 

1

a

: capable of flowing : fluid

powered, granular, or fluent materials

b

: capable of moving with ease and grace

the fluent body of a dancer

2

a

: capable of using a language easily and accurately

fluent in Spanish

a fluent writer

b

: effortlessly smooth and flowing

a fluent performance

spoke in fluent English

c

: having or showing mastery of a subject or skill

fluent in math

fluently adverb

Synonyms

• articulate
• eloquent
• silver-tongued
• well-spoken

Examples of fluent in a Sentence

a fluent speaker of Chinese

a very fluent speaker who always communicates his points well

Recent Examples on the Web

There, a British Lieutenant Colonel John Lawrence (Tom Conti), previously stationed in Japan and fluent in the language, tries to maintain some semblance of civility by communicating with the mercurial Sergeant Hara (Takeshi Kitano, then best known as a comic on Japanese television). —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2024

Translation for those not fluent in Lamontspeak: Hands off local zoning. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2024

In his memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter notes that Melissa is fluent in five languages, including Italian and Hebrew. —Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024

This is England, after all, and the British are formidably fluent in bureaucracy — the evils and evasions of which were responsible for the deaths at Grenfell — and even more so in calmly and precisely skewering it. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin fluent-, fluens, present participle of fluere — more at fluid

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

fluent

adjective

flu·​ent ˈflü-ənt 

1

: fluid entry 1 sense 1a

2

a

: able to speak easily and smoothly

fluent in Spanish

b

: done in a smooth easy way

fluently adverb

Etymology

from Latin fluent-, fluens, present participle of fluere "to flow" — related to fluid