as in conversation
talking or a talk between two or more people
Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects
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Relevance
1
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourse
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025
After two days exploring Barcelona, Spain, Napton was surprised at the lack of political discourse.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 May 2025
Lucy Ford, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
And when extreme weather happens, discourse on those conspiracy theories tend to spike, Wagner told CNN.
—Ramishah Maruf, Brandon Miller, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
Much of the national discourse surrounding Anthony Edwards in the aftermath of Minnesota’s Game 4 loss to Oklahoma City centered on the guard’s lack of scoring aggression.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025
After two days exploring Barcelona, Spain, Napton was surprised at the lack of political discourse.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 May 2025
Verb
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May and taking home the coveted Jury Prize and a joint Best Actress prize for its female ensemble (the three aforementioned performers plus Adriana Paz), discourse around Emilia Pérez lit up like a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
—Lucy Ford, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
And when extreme weather happens, discourse on those conspiracy theories tend to spike, Wagner told CNN.
—Ramishah Maruf, Brandon Miller, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
-
That simple question opened the door to a new kind of conversation.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
10 June 2025
-
Too many meetings fizzle out with vague next steps and trailing conversations.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Rather than lecturing, Kahn recommends guiding them to draw their own conclusions.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
20 May 2025
-
Trump stated during his big speech on the trip that his administration was not there to lecture the region on how to deal with its affairs.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
The billionaire South African businessman, Johann Rupert, spoke forcefully too.—
Jonny Steinberg,
Time,
22 May 2025
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The governor then spoke with roughly two dozen of the protestors in a closed-door meeting in his office.—
Jessika Harkay,
Hartford Courant,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Lawyers specializing in open government law told the Star-Telegram that the board likely violated the Texas Open Meetings Act with that closed-door discussion.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2025
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Complicating matters in the region are the U.S. and Iran’s efforts to resolve the stalemate in discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear program and, specifically, uranium enrichment.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Mouth can also talk his way out of issues and has a flair for foreign languages, like any smooth-talking Sag.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Barnard spoke Friday at a hearing of Democratic members of Congress and said some family members of the men had been able to talk to them Thursday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Coaches, who represent their schools, are strongly encouraged to work with officials rather than harangue them.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
-
Angela was introduced in the series premiere as the ex-wife of Tommy Norris (played by Billy Bob Thornton), seen only in haranguing FaceTime calls.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Liv Hewson ended up wearing the pink converse sneakers.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
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The chatbot converses with patients while simultaneously reviewing their medical records, then generates a ranked list of diagnoses and makes recommendations, such as for prescription drugs or lab tests.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Details of the negotiations were not released, but reports suggested the discussions largely focused on limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.—
Caitlin McFall , Greg Wehner , Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
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The Red Sox and Twins made a late-night trade on Wednesday to bring struggling right-handed reliever Jorge Alcala to Boston in exchange for minor league third baseman Andy Lugo.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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