discursive
|dis-cur-sive|
🇺🇸
/dɪˈskɝːsɪv/
🇬🇧
/dɪˈskɜːsɪv/
moving about in speech or argument
Etymology
'discursive' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'discursus', where 'dis-' meant 'apart' and 'currere' meant 'to run'.
'discursive' changed from Late Latin 'discursivus' and Old French 'discursif' and eventually became the modern English word 'discursive'.
Initially, it meant 'running about' (in the sense of moving around), but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'rambling/digressive' and 'relating to discourse or logical argument'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
moving from topic to topic; digressive or rambling rather than focused.
Her lecture was interesting but rather discursive, touching on many unrelated anecdotes.
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Adjective 2
relating to discourse or to the mode of reasoning that proceeds by argument and logical sequence rather than intuition.
The philosopher preferred a discursive approach, developing conclusions step by step from premises.
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Last updated: 2025/12/17 10:38