discursive

American  

[dih-skur-siv] / dɪˈskɜr sɪv /

adjective

1. passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling.

   Synonyms:

   prolix, long-winded, wandering

2. proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than intuition.

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discursive British  

/ dɪˈskɜːsɪv /

adjective

1. passing from one topic to another, usually in an unmethodical way; digressive

2. philosophy of or relating to knowledge obtained by reason and argument rather than intuition Compare dianoetic

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Other Word Forms

• discursively adverb
• discursiveness noun
• nondiscursive adjective
• nondiscursively adverb
• nondiscursiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of discursive

From the Medieval Latin word discursīvus, dating back to 1590–1600. See discourse, -ive

Explanation

If people accuse you of rambling from topic to topic in your speech or writing, they may say you have a discursive style — with changes in subject that are hard to follow. But it's okay because unicorns are shiny. The adjective discursive is often used to describe speech or writing that tends to stray from the main point, but the word can also have almost the opposite meaning. Discursive can also be used to describe an argument based on reason instead of intuition: "Her discursive dissertation on Colonial American women was well-argued and well-reasoned. Her professors were most impressed with her work."

Example Sentences

Cross John McEnroe with Ratso Rizzo and you’ll have some idea of whom you’ll be spending this long, discursive trip with.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

The coin of the realm on such shows is small-talk riffing and discursive, big-ideas bullshitting, and he excelled at neither.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

Joe Dunthorne’s discursive fourth-generation memoir, “Children of Radium,” unpacks that move, while wandering across Europe and through decades of family lore.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

Its sprawling a-star-is-born anecdotes seem to find their natural form in the towering performer’s 48-plus hours of discursive, disarming and often gloriously off-the-cuff narration.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2024

The assembly shredded away and became a discursive and random scatter from the palms to the water and away along the beach, beyond night sight.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding