discursive

adjective

di-ˈskər-siv How to pronounce discursive (audio)
Definition of discursivenext
as in rambling
passing from one topic to another the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discursive The temporary and discursive structure allowed global visibility without institutional permanence. — Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026 Real Man Adventures isn’t broken up into chapter-length sections of narrative, but rather brief, discursive essays. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 The instructional promise of each episode was a bit, a starting point for discursive, funny, intermittently personal mini-essays that always started in Wilson’s beloved New York, but could and did make their way anywhere. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026 Knowledge itself can be both logical and discursive. — Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
  1. rambling
  2. wandering
  3. indirect
  4. digressive
Adjective
  • And then there’s the Kiyosaki residence, a rambling Moroccan fantasia with muddy adobe walls and a pink door.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In the podcast, conversations with guests are interspersed with rambling reflections from Von, who is open about his past issues with substance abuse.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • Never underestimate the power of novelty, especially in the wandering eyes of new-money millennials.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
  • They are known to ruin picnics, chase wandering children, and terrorize those who accidentally mow over a nest.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandering
Adjective
  • Put the cutting in a warm place with bright, indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist, and open the bag once each day to let in fresh air.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But the second lineage has a much more indirect and mysterious connection.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of indirect
Adjective
  • As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Like all Kashian’s work, Alter-Kashian is densely packed, and her breakneck, digressive style doesn’t leave much room to come up for air.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of digressive

Browse Nearby Words

discriminatory
discursive
discuss
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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