discursive

 
Pronunciation: /dɪsˈkəːsɪv/

adjective

  • 1digressing from subject to subject: students often write dull, second-hand, discursive prose
  • (of a style of speech or writing) fluent and expansive: the short story is concentrated, whereas the novel is discursive
  • 2relating to discourse or modes of discourse: the attempt to transform utterances from one discursive context to another
  • 3 Philosophy, archaic proceeding by argument or reasoning rather than by intuition.

Derivatives

discursively

adverb

discursiveness

noun

Origin:

late 16th century: from medieval Latin discursivus, from Latin discurs-, literally 'gone hastily to and fro', from the verb discurrere (see discourse)