noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈfluːənsi/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F L UW1 AH0 N S IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The quality of smoothness of flow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The quality of being fluent in a language; a person's command of a particular language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The quality of consistently applying skill correctly in the manner of one well-practiced at it, requiring little deliberate thought to perform without mistakes
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The inherent ability to use a language easily and accurately.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
the quality of being facile in speech and writing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: volubility, articulateness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicativeness
6
noun
Meaning 6
skillfulness in speaking or writing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: disfluency
Broader terms: skillfulness
7
noun
Meaning 7
powerful and effective language
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his eloquence attracted a large congregation
fluency in spoken and written English is essential
his oily smoothness concealed his guilt from the police
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eloquence, smoothness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: expressive style, style
History
Etymology
From Late Latin fluentia, equivalent to fluent + -cy. Cognate with French fluence.
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սահունություն
(sahunutʻyun)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Bulgarian:
течливост
(tečlivost)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Chinese Mandarin:
流暢 /流畅
(liúchàng)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Finnish:
virtaavuus
— quality of smoothness of flow
Finnish:
nestemäisyys
— quality of smoothness of flow
German:
Flüssigkeit
— quality of smoothness of flow
German:
Fluss
— quality of smoothness of flow
Hungarian:
könnyedség
— quality of smoothness of flow
Hungarian:
gördülékenység
— quality of smoothness of flow
Hungarian:
folyékonyság
— quality of smoothness of flow
Irish:
éascaíocht
— quality of smoothness of flow
Irish:
líofacht
— quality of smoothness of flow
Japanese:
流暢
(ryūchō)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Korean:
유창
(yuchang)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Polish:
biegłość
— quality of smoothness of flow
Portuguese:
fluidez
— quality of smoothness of flow
Romanian:
fluiditate
— quality of smoothness of flow
Romanian:
fluență
— quality of smoothness of flow
Russian:
бе́глость
(béglostʹ)
— quality of smoothness of flow
Spanish:
fluidez
— quality of smoothness of flow
Spanish:
fluencia
— quality of smoothness of flow
Turkish:
akıcılık
— quality of smoothness of flow
Armenian:
սահունություն
(sahunutʻyun)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Armenian:
արագախոսություն
(aragaxosutʻyun)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Catalan:
fluïdesa
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Chinese Mandarin:
流利
(liúlì)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Dutch:
vlotheid
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Esperanto:
flueco
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Finnish:
sujuvuus
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
German:
Sprechflüssigkeit
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
German:
Geläufigkeit
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
German:
Flüssigkeit
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Greek:
ευφράδεια
(effrádeia)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Greek:
ευχέρεια
(efchéreia)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Ancient Greek:
εὐρημοσύνη
(eurēmosúnē)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Hebrew:
רהיטות
(r'hitut)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Hindi:
रवानी
(ravānī)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Hungarian:
folyékony nyelvtudás
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Icelandic:
flæði
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Irish:
líofacht
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Italian:
scioltezza
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Japanese:
ぺらぺら
(perapera)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Japanese:
流暢
(ryūchō)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Khmer:
ភាពស្ទាត់ជំនាញ
(phiəp-stŏətcumniəñ)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Korean:
유창
(yuchang)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Korean:
유려
(yuryeo)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Latin:
lēvitās
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Malay:
kefasihan
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Pannonian Rusyn:
чечносц
(čečnosc)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Polish:
płynność
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Polish:
biegłość
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Portuguese:
fluência
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Romanian:
fluență
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Russian:
свобо́дное владе́ние
(svobódnoje vladénije)
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Spanish:
fluidez
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Spanish:
soltura
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Spanish:
facundia
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Thai:
ความคล่องแคล่ว
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Turkish:
akıcılık
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Vietnamese:
sự thành thạo
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Welsh:
rhuglder
— linguistics: being fluent in a language
Hungarian:
jártasság
— quality of consistently applying skill correctly
Korean:
능숙도
(neungsukdo)
— quality of consistently applying skill correctly
Polish:
biegłość
— quality of consistently applying skill correctly
Spanish:
desenvoltura
— quality of consistently applying skill correctly
Spanish:
desparpajo
— quality of consistently applying skill correctly