discussion
Americannoun
-
discussions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of discussion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin discussiōn-, stem of discussiō “inquiry, examination,” Latin: “a shaking,” from discuss(us) “shaken” ( see discuss) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you're in an ongoing discussion with someone over, say, the best way to train a dog, that means you talk to each other over a long period of time, about all the aspects of dog training. Discussion comes from the Latin for "examination by taking things apart," and when you're having a discussion with someone on a complicated topic, it's like you're taking it apart and trying to understand it. Usually in a discussion, people exchange ideas. If you say, "I adore bananas," and your friend says, "me too," that's hardly a discussion. But if your friend says, "bananas are disgusting," then you can get into a discussion about it.
Vocabulary lists containing discussion
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
We’re calling this discussion “information” and not “catastrophizing.”
From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026
“It’s crossed my mind,” De Paula said with a smile when asked if he’s now in the discussion for playoff a roster spot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Let’s leave further discussion of that to the comedians.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Since August, a wave of discussion about AI's potential power and how to control and regulate it has dominated blog posts and social media, emphasised by several dramatic statements from those in the industry.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Dean and Macon had a long discussion about shrimp, anchovies, and finger mullet.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
In his opinion, some of the recent discussions about AI risk have approached the territory of “science fiction.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
PeakMetrics, a startup that tracks online discussions, introduced a service monitoring how brands show up in outputs by gen AI chatbots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed European Parliament on Thursday as discussions continue to swirl about Canada's relationship with the European Union.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The regents cast the Wednesday discussions as the opening of a months-long process to evaluate testing and student preparation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
But it did mean that the arguments became a part of the adventure, became discussions not threats.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
