as in conversation
talking or a talk between two or more people
Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourse
Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
No member of our community or public servant, regardless of political party, should have to wonder whether calls for violence against them will be treated as acceptable collateral damage in our political discourse.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
Also significant is that the new tech platforms are controlled by a small group of oligarchs such as Elon Musk, giving them far more control over public discourse than any newspaper owner ever dreamed of.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
No member of our community or public servant, regardless of political party, should have to wonder whether calls for violence against them will be treated as acceptable collateral damage in our political discourse.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
Verb
Cage and Hay also gave a recital in conjunction with a lecture by W. F. Way, who discoursed on the need for a yacht harbor in Santa Monica.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
-
Guests milk goats, walk down hydroponic rows, learn how edible flowers act as pollinators in pesticide-free ecosystems, and sit down for farm-to-table meals meant to spark conversation.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Alkaline water has entered the conversation as an arguable alternative to regular drinking water.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
In September 1975, Applewhite visited a small town in Oregon to lecture its residents about how and why UFOs were visiting Earth.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
8 June 2026
-
Universities lecture athletes about fiscal responsibility while writing eight-figure checks for coaches not to work.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Serna and Hulst never got the chance to speak one last time.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The person requested anonymity because they're not permitted to speak publicly about the confidential discussions.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
While e-bikes may have sparked the discussion, the possible ordinance would also apply to bikes, scooters and skateboards.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Still, Bartos argues the pace and scope of reform changed dramatically once the United States began applying pressure through budget negotiations and funding discussions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Paul DiPierro and Scott Ostrander, owners of adjacent restaurant Origami Asian Grill, encouraged Pruner to talk to the landlord when the space vacated.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
My mother opens the balcony door and starts hanging up underpants, talking to the guests with her back to them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Benatia got a three-month suspension for haranguing a fourth official.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
While American pundits wrote haranguing op-eds warning that the breaking of diplomatic precedent would prompt China to escalate war, ordinary people in Taiwan celebrated.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The new hire was Mike Brown, a funny, amiable man, who, at least outwardly, looks to have a converse personality to Thibodeau.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
-
Inside this building, generations of artists a century apart converse about similarly distressing and awe-inducing encounters between us and our technological creations.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
In the theater, poets declaimed their newest works while musicians competed on the kithara.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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