as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 discursive
McPherson’s discursive humanism exactly suits both O’Reilly’s light directorial touch and the confident realism of his company of (largely) Irish actors.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
As a result, the book has a discursive feel but is also very personal.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
-
In the past several years, Edge had filed a string of civil lawsuits with rambling, sometimes conspiratorial claims.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Kiehne was frustrated with the Joneses because the county government wouldn’t grade the dirt road up to his ranch, a rambling territory along the New Mexico border.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While the unfinished project remains ambiguous, the viewer catches glimpses of what the plot might have been about, where Jiang's character has grown from a wandering youth to a wealthy entrepreneur.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
No wandering unfamiliar streets.—
Lisa Greissinger,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Many have lost hope too, despite the indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas currently underway in Egypt.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The indirect negotiations continue today, with the participation of all parties and mediators.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The path to achieving this goal was already a digressive one, weaving together singing competitions, cloned dogs and a bald-capped Fielder breastfeeding from a giant puppet.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 May 2025
-
The tabloid reader commuting home on the No. 4 train was given the same all-access pass to his protean intellect and lyrical, digressive sentences as the Park Avenue neighbor of William F. Buckley’s reading him, fireside, in the more rarefied outlets.—
Ginia Bellafante,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share