Discourse Definition
dĭskôrs
discoursed, discourses, discoursing
noun
discourses
Verbal expression in speech or writing.
Political discourse.
American Heritage
Communication of ideas, information, etc., esp. by talking; conversation.
Webster's New World
Verbal exchange or conversation.
Listened to their discourse on foreign policy.
American Heritage
A long and formal treatment of a subject, in speech or writing; lecture; treatise; dissertation.
Webster's New World
Ability to reason; rationality.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
verb
discoursed, discourses, discoursing
To utter or tell.
Webster's New World
To carry on conversation; talk; confer.
Webster's New World
To speak or write (on or upon a subject) formally and at some length.
Webster's New World
To narrate or discuss.
American Heritage
To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Other Word Forms of Discourse
Noun
Singular:
discourse
Plural:
discoursesOrigin of Discourse
-
Middle English discours, from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Late 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”).
From Wiktionary
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Middle English discours process of reasoning from Medieval Latin discursus from Latin a running about from past participle of discurrere to run about dis- apart dis– currere to run kers- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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