discussion

American  

[dih-skuhsh-uhn] / dɪˈskʌʃ ən /

noun

• discussions
  plural

1. 

   an act or instance of discussing; consideration or examination by argument, comment, etc., especially to explore solutions; informal debate.

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discussion British  

/ dɪˈskʌʃən /

noun

1. the examination or consideration of a matter in speech or writing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prediscussion
  noun
• rediscussion
  noun
• discussional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• discussions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discussion discussions

That could now rise to 15.5 million barrels a day, they estimate, if governments deliver plans under discussion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Second, they see Meink’s remarks as, in the words of one former officer, “strategic communications—the beginning of a discussion about deterrence.”

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

"There's clearly an intention to not have discussion around the crimes that were committed and to prevent people from speaking about them," Abraham told AFP on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival last week.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

"These are all matters under discussion by the Expert Group on Childcare as we work on rolling out the next phase of this ambitious policy."

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

“But we’re only a few minutes late,” I said, recalling the discussion we had in Mrs. Taylor’s class about the film in which a boy argues with his father.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

He acted as a key player in Chávez’s vision, propelled climate change discussions to the forefront under Brown’s administration in the late 1970s and maintained safe spaces for Sacramento’s homeless community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 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

"People like me have been expecting this for a long time," the 62-year-old told AFP on Tuesday, saying security discussions surrounding AI have not been adequately robust.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

The ChatGPT maker has had preliminary investor discussions about a new raise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Even if the papers were read out loud in class, the discussions were usually brief, as the combination of good manners and complete lack of interest kept most workshop participants from expressing their honest opinions.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• analysis
• argument
• conference
• consideration
• consultation
• controversy
• conversation
• debate
• deliberation
• dialogue
• discourse
• dispute
• examination
• exchange
• interview
• meeting
• review
• scrutiny
• symposium
• wrangling