Meanings
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1
adj
moving from subject to subject rather than following a concise, orderly line
The lecturer's discursive style carried the audience from history to politics and back.
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2
adj
reaching conclusions through reasoned argument rather than intuition
The philosopher contrasted discursive reasoning with immediate insight.
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3
adj
relating to discourse or the use of language in communication
The study examines the discursive practices of scientific communities.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Via Middle French discursif and Medieval Latin discursivus from Latin discursus ("a running about; discourse"). The sense "rambling" preserves the image of running from point to point, while the philosophical sense concerns reasoning step by step.