discourse

1 of 2

noun

dis·​course ˈdi-ˌskȯrs 

di-ˈskȯrs

1

: verbal interchange of ideas

political discourse

… public discourse, the lifeblood of a healthy civic society.

—Ariel Rosenblum

especially : conversation

That word doesn't have much use in ordinary discourse.

… visitors … with whom he engaged in lively discourse.

—Anne Stevens

2

a

: formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject

gave discourse on the state of the film industry

broadly : expression of ideas

There are thoughtful critiques of the show and the discourse around it to be made.

—Keith Phipps

b

linguistics : connected speech or writing longer than a sentence

3

: a mode of organizing knowledge, ideas, or experience that is rooted in language and its concrete contexts (such as history or institutions)

academic discourse

religious discourse

the critical discourse around his art

4

archaic : the capacity of orderly thought or procedure : rationality

5

obsolete : social familiarity

discourse

2 of 2

verb

discoursed; discoursing

intransitive verb

1

: to express oneself especially orally and at length

… the Count began to discourse on his theories of the immortality of the soul.

—Raymond Carver

2

: talk, converse

… a group of Cambridge youths discoursing prettily on the existence of a cow on a riverbank.

—Jo Livingstone

He discoursed and corresponded with men whose opinions mattered …

—Ronald W. Clark

transitive verb

1

: play, perform

… music which was being discoursed in College park.

—James Joyce

2

archaic : to formally speak or write

… poets and humorists who … discoursed fables and politics …

—James Francis Barrett

discourser noun

Synonyms of discourse

Noun

• conversation
• discussion
• converse

Verb

• lecture
• speak
• talk

Examples of discourse in a Sentence

Noun

In the most extreme case, [physician and biochemist Hans] Selye argued, stress could wear down the body's adaptation mechanisms, resulting in death. His narrative fit well into the cultural discourse of the cold-war era, where, Harrington writes, many saw themselves as "broken by modern life." —Jerome Groopman, New York Times Book Review, 27 Jan. 2008

Such is the exquisite refinement of American political discourse in the early 21st century. —Brad Friedman, Mother Jones, January & February 2006

Literature records itself, shows how its records might be broken, and how the assumptions of a given discourse or culture might thereby be challenged. Shakespeare is, again, the great example. —Richard Poirier, Raritan Reading, 1990

He likes to engage in lively discourse with his visitors.

She delivered an entertaining discourse on the current state of the film industry.

Verb

The most energetic ingredients in a Ken Burns documentary are the intervals of commentary, the talking heads of historians, sociologists, and critics coming at us in living color and discoursing volubly. —Richard Alleva, Commonweal, 22 Feb. 2002

Clarke had discoursed knowledgeably on the implications of temperature for apples; it was too cool here for … Winesaps, or Granny Smiths, none of which mature promptly enough to beat autumn's first freeze. —David Guterson, Harper's, October 1999

… Bill Clinton was up in the sky-box suites, giving interviews. So The Baltimore Sun's guy on the job was Carl Cannon and he took notes while Clinton discoursed on the importance of Ripken's streak, the value of hard work, the lessons communicated to our youth in a nation troubled by blah blah blah. —Richard Ben Cramer, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 1999

She could discourse for hours on almost any subject.

the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Seven decades later, these ideas are mainstream in both Israeli and US discourse. —Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

Born in 1950 and raised in Chicago, Morgan became one of the most respected voices in the study of language, identity, and the power of popular culture to shape social discourse. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Verb

The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025

Admissions officers want to see that students will contribute meaningfully to discourse on campus. —Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English discours "capacity for reasoning," borrowed (with assimilation to cours course entry 1 and other derivatives) from Medieval Latin discursus, going back to Late Latin, "exchange of ideas," going back to Latin, "action of running in different directions," from discurrere "to run off in different directions, (of the mind or a speaker) branch out, range," from dis- dis- + currere "to run" — more at current entry 1

Note: For formation of the verbal noun cursus see etymology and note at course entry 1.

Verb

derivative of discourse entry 1, in part after Middle French discourir "to treat, deal with," descourir "to converse"

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing discourse

• discourse analysis
• public discourse
• universe of discourse

Kids Definition

discourse

1 of 2 noun

dis·​course ˈdis-ˌkō(ə)rs 

-ˌkȯ(ə)rs,

dis-ˈ

1

: conversation

2

: a long talk or composition about a subject

discourse

2 of 2 verb

dis·​course dis-ˈkō(ə)rs  -ˈkȯ(ə)rs 

ˈdis-ˌ

discoursed; discoursing

: to talk especially for a long time