English Meaning & Definitions
Digressing from subject to subject; rambling or moving aimlessly from one topic to another.
- “The professor's discursive lecture style often left students wondering what the main point of the lesson was.”
- “His discursive essay meandered through history, philosophy, and personal anecdote without ever reaching a clear conclusion.”
Relating to discourse or modes of reasoning that proceed by argument and analysis rather than by intuition.
- “The philosopher argued that discursive thought is essential for building a logical framework.”
- “She preferred discursive analysis over the immediate, intuitive grasp of the problem.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “discursive”.
Derived from the Late Latin 'discursivus', from 'discurrere' meaning 'to run about'. It combines 'dis-' (in different directions) and 'currere' (to run). Originally used in philosophy to describe reasoning that proceeds by steps rather than intuition, it evolved to describe speech or writing that wanders from topic to topic.
Think of a 'discuss-ive' person who discusses so many things that they wander off the main point.
Frequently Asked Questions About “discursive”
1. What is the meaning of “discursive” in English?
In English, discursive (adjective) is defined as: “Digressing from subject to subject; rambling or moving aimlessly from one topic to another.”.
2. How do you use “discursive” in a sentence?
“The professor's discursive lecture style often left students wondering what the main point of the lesson was.”
3. What are English synonyms of “discursive”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “discursive”?
Derived from the Late Latin 'discursivus', from 'discurrere' meaning 'to run about'. It combines 'dis-' (in different directions) and 'currere' (to run). Originally used in philosophy to describe reasoning that proceeds by steps rather than intuition, it evolved to describe speech or writing that wanders from topic to topic.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.