Thesaurus results for DIS-COURSE

discourse 1 of 2

noun

ˈdi-ˌskȯrs

Definition of discourse

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

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discourse

2 of 2

verb

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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of discourse

Noun

The role of social media in fomenting a more violent political discourse comes up time and time again – referenced in parliamentary reports and by countless MPs. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Advertisement Israel is hardly alone in trying to shape American online discourse to its advantage. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 14 July 2026

Verb

The most explicitly political of the year’s major contenders is also the odds-on Best Picture front-runner, which has made OBAA discourse the season’s most inescapable topic. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026 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

And time for conversations to focus on gold, silver and bronze.

— Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
For too long, conversations about Africa and aerospace have begun with what the continent supposedly lacks, while African women have been imagined as spectators or beneficiaries instead of astronauts and engineers.

— Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Definition of conversation

Verb

He was internationally known as an expert on the work of William Faulkner, teaching and lecturing around the world on the Nobel Prize winner.

— Rebecca McCarthy, AJC.com, 13 July 2026
Parsipur taught at Brown University in the early 2000s and lectured internationally throughout the ensuing decades.

— News Desk, Artforum, 13 July 2026

Definition of lecture

Verb

Anyone speaking on camera under those circumstances, having given so much on the pitch, deserves a significant amount of leeway.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Meeting with Gulf leaders late last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken forcefully against Iran charging fees for transit through the strait.

— Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Definition of speak

Noun

After an hour of intense discussion, panelists opened the floor for questions from the wide-eyed congregants.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Earlier Thursday, Padilla also convened faith leaders and political figures in a roundtable discussion to defend voting rights and remember the legacy of civil rights hero John Lewis.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of discussion

Verb

Never mind that Canales doesn’t speak Spanish himself — the way that Telemundo announcers start talking faster as the action on the pitch intensifies is its own kind of language.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Now’s the time for the Party to think about it—potential pairings have a little time to court one another—and to start talking themselves into the idea that this could be rewarding and even kind of fun.

— Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

Definition of talk

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

Definition of harangue

Noun

So, Toney and Ulbrich converse and decide what’s best for the defense, and more specifically within Toney’s passing-centric jurisdiction, what’s best for the secondary and back seven in coverage.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
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

Definition of converse

Browse Nearby Words

discouraging

discourse

discoursed

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Style

“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of discourse

noun

verb

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