Discursive (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than intuition.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The professor encouraged her students to engage in discursive thinking, analyzing the evidence and drawing logical conclusions rather than relying on gut feelings.
- Her discursive approach to problem-solving allowed her to break down complex issues into manageable parts and develop effective solutions.
- The philosopher's discursive writing style made his arguments clear and accessible to a wide range of readers.
- In contrast to her more intuitive approach, his discursive method of decision-making involved weighing the pros and cons of each option carefully.
- The researcher's discursive analysis of the data revealed patterns and trends that had not been immediately apparent.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects; "amusingly digressive with satirical thrusts at women's fashions among other things"; "a rambling discursive book"; "his excursive remarks"; "a rambling speech about this and that".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The professor's discursive teaching style often led to unexpected and interesting tangents.
- The discursive essay jumped from a critique of social media to a commentary on reality TV without clear transitions.
- His speech was more entertaining than informative, due in part to his discursive and rambling storytelling.
- The book's discursive approach made it hard to follow at times, as the author flitted between multiple unrelated topics.
- Despite her attempt to stick to the topic, the candidate's discursive response wandered into various side conversations and personal anecdotes.