digression

American  

[dih-gresh-uhn, dahy-] / dɪˈgrɛʃ ən, daɪ- /

noun

1. the act of digressing.

   Synonyms:

   divergence, deviation

2. a passage or section that deviates from the central theme in speech or writing.

   Synonyms:

   divergence, deviation

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Other Word Forms

• digressional adjective
• digressionary adjective

Etymology

Origin of digression

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīgressiōn-, stem of dīgressiō “departure,” from dīgress(us) “departed” (past participle of dīgredī “to go off, depart”; digress ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Historically, some U.S. listeners have struggled to embrace K-pop because of the language barrier, or found the genre’s melodic digressions and stop-start rhythms jarring, as if three songs are crammed into one.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pacing is a recurring problem: Running about two hours and 20 minutes, the film is easily half an hour too long as it indulges in irrelevant asides and digressions.

From The Wall Street Journal

That jarring digression will gradually morph into a crucial subplot, allowing Mendonça Filho to build a thematic bridge between then and now.

From Los Angeles Times

Some might find his digressions meandering; I found them delightful.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are lengthy digressions involving, say, the puzzling practices of an American flag warehouse, or the time the FBI apparently investigated the author of the children’s book “Harold and the Purple Crayon.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• detour
• footnote