discursive

adjective

dis·​cur·​sive di-ˈskər-siv 

1

a

: moving from topic to topic without order : rambling

gave a discursive lecture

discursive prose

b

: proceeding coherently from topic to topic

2

philosophy : marked by a method of resolving complex expressions into simpler or more basic ones : marked by analytical reasoning

3

: of or relating to discourse

discursive practices

discursively adverb

discursiveness noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb discurrere meant "to run about", and from this word we get our word discursive, which often means rambling about over a wide range of topics. A discursive writing style generally isn't encouraged by writing teachers. But some of the great 19th-century writers, such as Charles Lamb and Thomas de Quincey, show that the discursive essay, especially when gracefully written and somewhat personal in tone, can be a pleasure to read. And the man often called the inventor of the essay, the great Michel de Montaigne, might touch on dozens of different topics in the course of a long discursive essay.

Synonyms

• desultory
• digressional
• digressionary
• digressive
• excursive
• leaping
• maundering
• meandering
• rambling
• wandering

Examples of discursive in a Sentence

the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point

Recent Examples on the Web

As an impressionist, Carvey's style was more, well, impressionist — his gabbling, discursive George H.W. Bush spinning out further and further while remaining resolutely tethered to some measure of loony reality (taking a similar approach for his recent recurring stint as President Joe Biden). —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025

His more discursive but no less insightful book pushes back against another feature of Obama’s view of U.S. foreign policy: the president’s deep skepticism about the ability of U.S. military force to achieve meaningful or lasting political objectives. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2016

Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film freely and imaginatively recreates that long-ago afternoon and the wonderfully discursive exchange between these two singular individuals. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025

There’s a discursive ramble about ordering Chinese food that takes on a strange power. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin discursīvus "showing reasoned thought, logical," from discursus, past participle of discurrere "to range over, discuss" (going back to Latin, "to run off in different directions, [of a mind or speaker] branch out, range") + Latin -īvus -ive — more at discourse entry 1

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

discursive

adjective

dis·​cur·​sive dis-ˈkər-siv 

: passing from one topic to another

a discursive speech

discursively adverb

discursiveness noun