as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discursive
Knowledge itself can be both logical and discursive.
—
Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
His palette is light, smudgy guitar textures and warm synths; his message, more gestural than discursive, is love and lust.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
The story of Jussie Smollett had the effect of sucking one individual into a near-perfect storm of discursive tripwires.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
His palette is light, smudgy guitar textures and warm synths; his message, more gestural than discursive, is love and lust.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
The story of Jussie Smollett had the effect of sucking one individual into a near-perfect storm of discursive tripwires.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
-
Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Like Fox Lake mom Priscilla Marshall, 34, whose 11-year-old son was found wandering village streets last month, bloody and beaten, authorities said.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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The adventurous rapper and producer take a more refined approach on a collaborative album full of wandering thoughts and odd, understated beats.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Early Saturday morning, the discount airline ceased operations immediately and canceled all flights, leaving passengers stranded and most of its 17,000 direct and indirect employees without jobs.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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Spirit said some 17,000 people, both direct and indirect airline workers, lost their jobs in the airline's collapse.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
In return for her weird, digressive, and highly mannered manuscript, Lemann received a kill fee.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Like all Kashian’s work, Alter-Kashian is densely packed, and her breakneck, digressive style doesn’t leave much room to come up for air.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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