fluent

Latin fluens (“flowing”), present active participle of fluō (“I flow”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈfluːənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfluənt/

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• Rhymes: -ʊənt

fluent (comparative more fluent, superlative most fluent)

1. That flows; flowing, liquid.

   fluent handwriting

   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:

     For time is a fleeting thing, and which appeareth as in a shadow, with the matter ever gliding, alwaies fluent, without ever being stable or permanent […].

2. (linguistics) Able to use a language accurately, rapidly, and confidently – in a flowing way.

   She's fluent in French.

   • 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard

     The clerk had, I'm afraid, a shrew of a wife—shrill, vehement, and fluent.

In casual use, “fluency” refers to language proficiency broadly, while in narrow use it refers to using a language flowingly, rather than haltingly.

• fluency
• fluently

fluent (plural fluents)

1. (mathematics, obsolete) A continuous variable, especially one with respect to time in Newton's Method of Fluxions.

• netful, unfelt

fluent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of fluō

Borrowed from Latin fluens.

fluent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular fluent or fluente)

1. (of a liquid) flowing; that flows

• fluer