discursive
Prone to tangents
Discursive describes speech or writing that wanders from topic to topic rather than following a straight line: His discursive lecture touched on everything from ancient Rome to modern architecture.
The word can be neutral—describing an exploratory, digressive style—or mildly critical, suggesting lack of focus.
In philosophy, discursive reasoning proceeds step by step through argument, as opposed to intuitive understanding.
Barely connected to main point
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- ramblingLong-winded and unfocused
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- wanderingTraveling with no fixed course
divergent · parenthetical · deviation · detour · digression · excursus · aside · off-topic
Fluent and persuasive
- persuasiveAble to convince others
- oratoricalOf formal public speaking
- expositoryServing to explain
- articulateExpress clearly, or well-spoken
fluent · expressive · prose · narrative · conversational · dialogic · communicative · deliberative
Excessively wordy in speech
- wordyUsing more language than necessary
- long-windedExcessively wordy, tediously so
- circumlocutorySpeaking in circles
- periphrasticExpressed through excess words
expansive · extended · elaborate · drawn-out · exhaustive · comprehensive · thorough · protracted
Based on valid reasoning
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
- deductiveDeriving specifics from generals
- inductiveDeriving general from particular
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
argumentative · systematic · rational · sequential · propositional · syllogistic · inferential · reasoned
Relating to education or theory
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- dissertationExtended academic treatise
- lectureEducational spoken presentation
- seminarGroup discussion for learning
symposium · colloquium · peer-reviewed · monograph · citation · bibliography · footnote · methodology
tangential
Barely connected to main point
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- ramblingLong-winded and unfocused
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
wandering · divergent · parenthetical · deviation · detour · digression · excursus · aside · off-topic · departure
eloquent
Fluent and persuasive
- persuasiveAble to convince others
- oratoricalOf formal public speaking
- expositoryServing to explain
articulate · fluent · expressive · prose · narrative · conversational · dialogic · communicative · deliberative
prolix
Excessively wordy in speech
- wordyUsing more language than necessary
- long-windedExcessively wordy, tediously so
- circumlocutorySpeaking in circles
periphrastic · expansive · extended · elaborate · drawn-out · exhaustive · comprehensive · thorough · protracted · overlong
logical
Based on valid reasoning
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
- deductiveDeriving specifics from generals
- inductiveDeriving general from particular
dialectic · argumentative · systematic · rational · sequential · propositional · syllogistic · inferential · reasoned · methodical
academic
Relating to education or theory
- thesisAcademic argument requiring defense
- dissertationExtended academic treatise
- lectureEducational spoken presentation
seminar · symposium · colloquium · peer-reviewed · monograph · citation · bibliography · footnote · methodology · theoretical
- digressionsdigression, tangent, aside, sidetrack, detour
- tedioustedious, tiresome, wearisome, boring, monotonous
discursiveintuitive
Known without reasoning
immediate · direct · instinctive · apprehensive · mystical