discourse

C1 Topic:Communication

US /ˈdɪs.kɔːɹs/ UK /ˈdɪs.kɔːs/ See IPA manual

Freq #25024

Meanings

1

noun
Serious discussion or the exchange of ideas about a subject, in speech or writing.

The book aims to raise the level of public discourse on climate change.
2

noun
A long, formal talk or piece of writing on a particular subject.

The professor delivered a discourse on the causes of the war.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · serious discussion or the... discussion debate

2 noun · a long, formal talk or... lecture treatise

More norm

Word family

Forms discourseddiscoursesdiscoursing

Derived forms counterdiscoursecyberdiscoursediscoursaldiscourselessdiscourserdiscoursivemacrodiscoursemetadiscoursemicrodiscourse

Related forms course discursive essay

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

indirect discourse
reported speech expressed through another speaker's wording rather than direct quotation

Adjective + noun

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.

*ḱers- Proto-Indo-European discours Middle English discursus Latin discurrō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication Language & Linguistics Register & Style

External links

# discourse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɪs.kɔːɹs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɪs.kɔːs/
**Frequency rank:** 25024

## 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
- Language & Linguistics
- Register & Style

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