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)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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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:
"We had a good discussion today on two fronts, one around re-industrialisation and the offer of more devolution of innovation funding to the regional level."
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Reddit’s stock plunged on Friday after the community discussion forum said its search referral traffic was down significantly in the third quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Each discussion item drew questions from the commissioners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
A potential expansion of its storage network in India is under discussion, Adnoc said earlier this year, but no timeline has been set.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The discussion of next steps continued the following morning.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
"You may therefore expect him to address them in his speech with unflinching honesty, sincere sorrow, and respect for the wider discussions that will be taking place between relevant governments on this issue."
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
"Rather than allow a ceremonial photo opportunity to become a diplomatic distraction, the US decided to forgo the photo and keep the focus on the substantive discussions," the official said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
"We must now find the stamina to push through to conclude our discussions on all the critical topics before us," said Schomaker, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
She replaced the oval table in the ECB headquarters with a round one and upped the amount of time for discussions at policy meetings, efforts intended to make all countries—not just the larger ones—feel included.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Ever since I could remember, all my life in fact, there had been these discussions and arguments and debates about whether we ought to obey His Majesty’s government or whether we should rebel.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
