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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of discourse
Angela Yang, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
About a remote Colorado mountain mining town that becomes an unexpected model for public discourse, the film debuted at the South by Southwest Film Festival last year.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
Osbourne’s recent comments are the latest in a broader, highly divisive discourse that has been building around the resurgence of thinness among women in Hollywood.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
About a remote Colorado mountain mining town that becomes an unexpected model for public discourse, the film debuted at the South by Southwest Film Festival last year.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
-
Thoughtful conversation softens defensiveness and grows respect.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.—
Alexandra Koch , Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
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That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chelsea strongly believe that Gittens can be a success at the club, and Rosenior has spoken about him positively.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
For decades, the Grimmer family never spoke about Cheryl.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Doing so will put you in a better place for any upcoming or ongoing tough discussions with the people who matter most to you.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Iran’s nuclear program has been at the center of the discussions.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Senate GOP is not united on forcing Democrats to commit to a talking filibuster to pass the voter ID bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
But the state now publishes legislative data through a public application programming interface — essentially the tool that lets apps talk to each other.—
Matt Wing,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Most presidents have treated it as a chance to note their accomplishments, to harangue Congress into supporting their priorities, and to speak to the American people.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
-
After haranguing the receptionist, he was eventually granted a 15-minute audience with Fujita, who advised his teenage devotee to focus on future technologies like computers.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In sequences interspersed in the film, Bean and Rozos converse in a kind of fort-like structure erected in a room.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The hush in public spaces isn't intimidating and there are myriad cozy places to sit and converse.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
More often, though, Tallent demonstrates his characters’ precarity rather than declaiming about it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
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Providence doesn’t give you a Latin teacher for a mother without consequence: Samy declaimed classical locutions with scandalous ease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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