## Meanings
1. Serious discussion or the exchange of ideas about a subject, in speech or writing.
2. A long, formal talk or piece of writing on a particular subject.

## Examples
- The book aims to raise the level of public discourse on climate change.
- The professor delivered a discourse on the causes of the war.

## Synonyms
- norm

## Derived Forms
- counterdiscourse
- cyberdiscourse
- discoursal
- discourseless
- discourser
- discoursive
- macrodiscourse
- metadiscourse
- microdiscourse

## Related Forms
- course
- discursive
- essay

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ḱers-
- Root: discours
- Root: discursus
- Root: discurrō

## Etymology
From Middle English discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence of Middle French cours (“course”). Doublet of discursus.

## AI Etymology
Discourse is from Middle English discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence of Middle French cours (“course”). Doublet of discursus. In present-day use, it can mean serious discussion or the exchange of ideas about a subject, in speech or writing, or a long, formal talk or piece of writing on a particular subject. Derived formations include counterdiscourse, cyberdiscourse, discoursal, discourseless, and discourser.

## Topics
- Communication
- Register & Style

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