as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
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Recent Examples of discursive
McPherson’s discursive humanism exactly suits both O’Reilly’s light directorial touch and the confident realism of his company of (largely) Irish actors.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
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The final part is a rather rambling segment philosophizing on proof of the afterlife—in line with dozens of similar texts from this era of psychical research.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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The videos, which depict handwritten journals and a display of high-powered weaponry, paint a portrait of a person with a rambling and deeply nihilistic outlook, according to analyses by law enforcement and ABC News.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This shot of the wandering comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was taken in early 2024 around the solar maximum by Dan Bartlett, who was able to capture spectacular structural detail in the trail of the wandering solar system body.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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The caravan experience appealed to Bella, not because of the wandering but, rather, because Cuthbertson offered structure.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hawaii will continue to feel indirect impacts today from moist air Kiko brought into the area and a weak wind field left in its wake, the National Weather Service said.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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This indirect pollution makes up about 80-90% of an insurance company's total climate risk exposure, far more than the emissions from running their own offices and operations.—
Mindy Lubber,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The path to achieving this goal was already a digressive one, weaving together singing competitions, cloned dogs and a bald-capped Fielder breastfeeding from a giant puppet.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 May 2025
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The tabloid reader commuting home on the No. 4 train was given the same all-access pass to his protean intellect and lyrical, digressive sentences as the Park Avenue neighbor of William F. Buckley’s reading him, fireside, in the more rarefied outlets.—
Ginia Bellafante,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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