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

The narrative wanders through exuberant wordplay and digressions that can become distracting.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Ghost Elephants” is a Werner Herzog film so, unsurprisingly, the titular characters play second fiddle to a man on an arduous quest, with fascinating digressions along the way.

From Los Angeles Times

The core of this book, stripping away the weird digressions, is about how society makes monsters.

From Los Angeles Times

His digressions on the history of California and of his Golden State ancestors are the least engaging parts of the book.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, a brief digression, because I feel strongly about this.

From Salon

Related Words

• detour
• footnote