digression

noun

di·​gres·​sion dī-ˈgre-shən How to pronounce digression (audio)
də-
1
: the act or an instance of leaving the main subject in an extended written or verbal expression of thought : the act or an instance of digressing in a discourse or other usually organized literary work
Every place Hamilton, his parents, or his wife visited over a century's time is described at length; everyone he met merits at least a minor biographical digression.Willard Sterne Randall
2
archaic : a going aside
digressional
dī-ˈgresh-nəl How to pronounce digression (audio)
də-
-ə-nᵊl
adjective
digressionary adjective

Examples of digression in a Sentence

the professor's frequent and extended digressions are the stuff of campus legend
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The streaming economy, however, has stretched the narrative timeline, elongated the arc, padding out a predetermined number of episodes with extraneous digressions, giving minor characters things to do that don’t necessarily contribute to the story, while not developing into much on their own. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025 The duo soon reveal their exceptional digressions from type. Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 Some might even ask if the demand for flat prices is an implicit acknowledgement of the error, but that’s a digression. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 But that’s a digression, and one imaging rationality about a tax code that screams irrationality. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for digression

Word History

Etymology

see digress

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of digression was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Digression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digression. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

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