Definition of DISCURSIVE (original) (raw)
1
a
: moving from topic to topic without order : rambling
gave a discursive lecture
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
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
Examples of discursive in a Sentence
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The concerto can appear undisciplined and discursive, with a running time of 70 minutes, a medley-like approach to style and a finale that brings in a male choir for a paean to nature. —
Joshua Barone, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024 Their discursive subjects might include an elevator speech to prep a significant other about the gaudiness of the family fortune. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024 For all the discursive conversations about finding meaning in a dying world, this is still fundamentally a show where plot takes precedence over character. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2024 Although Pinker writes as a scientist, his approach in this book is discursive rather than deductive, charmingly but not quite persuasively advancing his ex cathedra views about life in general. —Timothy Snyder, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011 See all Example Sentences for discursive 
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of discursive was in 1595
Dictionary Entries Near discursive
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discursive. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on discursive
Last Updated: 31 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!