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
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Recent Examples of discourse
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
So, on the one hand, part of Hezbollah’s discourse is a commitment to anti-corruption, et cetera.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 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
Basel began cranking out world-changing cultural discourse a good half a millennium before the art fairs arrived.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
So, on the one hand, part of Hezbollah’s discourse is a commitment to anti-corruption, et cetera.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 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
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From traditional staples like ginseng to barrier-loving ceramides and buzzy newcomers like PDRN, the lineup below captures exactly why Korean skin care continues to shape the global beauty conversation.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
22 Mar. 2026
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Evidently, the conversation landed.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Thiel has previously written and lectured on the subject, arguing that the Antichrist is not necessarily a person but could come as a global government system.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These answers are provided here to allow candidates to speak directly to our readers.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
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At the dinner, Norris spoke about how his politics put him on a path to achieve his life goal in helping youth focus on martial arts with his program Kickstart Kids.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Psychological readiness is an important factor in safe return to play and reinjury risk, making gradual exposure through both imagery and real-world practice, along with open discussion and validation of fear, essential parts of recovery.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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And that doesn’t even include Heat conversations involving Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami will try again this summer) and Ja Morant (the Heat decided against pursuing after an initial discussion with Memphis in January).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Miami Herald talked to 10 lawn care companies about how the change will affect their work.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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When Sahelian countries tried to talk to their insurgents, France fiercely opposed it.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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The two converse as if Janet is a hostage on a permanent Zoom call, always sitting in the same room, in the same clothes, talking to the same nonexistent camera.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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 26 Mar. 2026.
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