disquisition

noun

dis·​qui·​si·​tion ˌdi-skwə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce disquisition (audio)
: a formal inquiry into or discussion of a subject : discourse

Examples of disquisition in a Sentence

a lengthy disquisition on foreign policy Adam Smith's celebrated disquisition on the factors contributing to the wealth of nations.
Recent Examples on the Web And in the same way that ageism against women was really a disquisition on femininity, the broad obsession with President Biden’s age speaks to our vision of masculinity. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 But in a shocking and — given the camera cuts and surprised looks of hosts Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb — seemingly unplanned moment, the high-pitched, 3 1/2-year-old Muppet’s segment was interrupted by David, who had apparently had enough of Elmo’s disquisition. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2024 Christian Dannecker began his talk with a convoluted disquisition on deforestation curves, counterfactual modelling, and the limitations of NASA satellite data in assessing dryland deforestation. Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023 The drama we have been promised collapses into disquisition. Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 2 Mar. 2023 But this is no sterile, scholarly disquisition; it’s dotted throughout with political critique, artistic context, and the chaos and violence of personal experience. Longreads, 23 July 2021 In the New York Times, meanwhile, appeared the longest yet disquisition on the travails of WarnerMedia under previous owner AT&T and new owner Discovery. WSJ, 22 Nov. 2022 Rather, Lelio and his co-writers have made a smart, subtle disquisition on the necessity of both skepticism and faith, with a particularly keen understanding of religion’s uses and abuses. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Before the boy could continue his disquisition, Pops clocked him with a right hand. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disquisition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin disquisition-, disquisitio, from disquirere to investigate, from dis- + quaerere to seek

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disquisition was in 1640

Dictionary Entries Near disquisition

Cite this Entry

“Disquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disquisition. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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