We explain what is something versatile, the origin of the term and its figurative meaning. Also, why does it have a positive connotation.
What is a versatile thing?
Something versatile is something that can have very different functions or that can be adapted to very different needs. In other words, something versatile is something that can be used for many different things, or that can show many different aspects of itself.
The word "Versatile" comes from Latin versatilis, derived in turn from verb I will see, which can be translated as "turn around" or "turn." It was used in ancient times (by authors such as Livy, in the 1st century AD) with a figurative sense to refer to those people who know how to adapt to different situations, that is, they are flexible.
Nowadays, we use this adjective very often with that last meaning, and with a certain connotation positive, more or less related to terms such as "useful" and "diverse." However, it can also be used as synonymous from "unsteady" or "accommodative", that is, someone who is not committed to a cause or lacks convictions.
Thus, for example, we say that a tool is versatile, when it can serve us for very different uses or to solve problems different; or that a employee is versatile when we can locate it, within a organization, in different positions or responsibilities.