Agency Dictionary

Discursive

adjectivePronunciation: /dɪˈskɜːr.sɪv/

In Portuguese: Discursivo

What does “Discursive” mean?

Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.

Etymology

From Middle French discursif, from Medieval Latin discursivus, built on Latin discursus, "a running to and fro", from discurrere, formed from dis- ("apart, in different directions") and currere ("to run"). Discourse has the same source. In English the word has two lines of meaning: in philosophy, proceeding step by step through reasoning, as opposed to intuitive; in general use, moving from topic to topic, digressive.

Usage note

Outside philosophy the word more often means rambling, moving from subject to subject. The sense "proceeding by reasoning" is the technical one, set against intuitive.

Synonyms

reasoned
sequential
argumentative
ratiocinative
analytical

Often confused with

digressive: Digressive only means straying from the subject; discursive, in its technical sense, means advancing by ordered steps of reasoning.

Word family

discourse
discursively
discursiveness
discursion

Usage examples

you are following a discursive and linear line of thought put together by me!
Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of Forms
Because even though you are reading it on the surface of a screen, you are following a discursive and linear line of thought put together by me!

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of FormsMay 10, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Rebirthnoun: A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
paperweightnoun: A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
quotationnoun: A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
omissionnoun: The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
verbatimadjective: In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
Tangibleadjective: Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
literary devicenoun: A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
Holisticadjective: Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.

Also from these editions: terms

Equationnoun: A complex statement or problem involving balancing multiple interdependent factors, variables, or meanings.
Mazenoun: A complex network of interconnected paths, passages, or obstacles designed to puzzle and challenge navigation.
vocationnoun: A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
Synchronicitynoun: The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related yet lack a direct causal connection.
Decompositionnoun: The natural biological or chemical process of decay, breakdown, or disintegration into constituent elements.
recipientnoun: The person who receives something. In communication, the one to whom a message is addressed and who interprets it, as opposed to the sender who composes it.
iconnoun: A simplified image that represents a thing by resembling it. In semiotics, a sign that signifies through likeness; in digital interfaces, a small picture that stands for an object or a function.
Stigmanoun: A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
symbolismnoun: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, and the set of meanings that a form, an image or an object carries beyond its literal sense.
Desaturationnoun: The progressive loss or removal of chromatic intensity, rendering a color closer to a neutral gray.
Regenerativeadjective: Relating to or capable of renewing, restoring, or reforming biological vitality and structural equilibrium.
target audiencenoun: The specific group of people that a message, a product or a campaign is meant to reach, defined by what they have in common, such as needs, habits or interests.