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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"I wasn't shutting down discussion because there was no discussion available to be had," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
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
“In general across the industry we are seeing some more specialization and we expect that to continue,” she says during a discussion with reporters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
This led to a discussion among the others, and even though none of them had ever talked about it before, they all agreed that it was true.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
In his opinion, some of the recent discussions about AI risk have approached the territory of “science fiction.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Interwoven with Mr. Tommasini’s engaging overview of Anderson’s life are astute discussions of her recordings and repertoire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 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
We have spoken to a number of men from the regime involved in Tice's detention, and have reviewed recordings of discussions about it.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Because it doesn’t really matter how well your guardians try to prepare you: all the talks, videos, discussions, warnings, none of that can really bring it home.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
