divagation
Straying from topic
Divagation is a straying or wandering from a subject or course—a digression.
The word is literary and uncommon, appearing mostly in formal writing: His lecture was full of charming divagations.
To divagate is to wander off topic or ramble.
Line touching curve once
- asideBrief theatrical digression
- excursionBrief recreational trip
- departureAct of going away
- parenthesisPunctuation enclosing supplementary text
detour · footnote · interjection · deflection · discursive · oblique · peripheral · extraneous
Unnecessary word excess
- prolixityTedious lengthiness in speech
- discursivenessTendency to wander topically
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
- long-windednessTedious verbal excess
diffuseness · expatiation · meandering · garrulity · wordiness · windiness · loquacity · unfocused
Travel without fixed purpose
- meanderTo travel without direction
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- strollRelaxed walk for enjoyment
- driftGradual movement, no direction
peregrination · amble · saunter · roving · vagabondage · itinerancy · walkabout · gallivanting
Separation from common origin
- departureAct of going away
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- varianceSpread around the mean
- strayingDeparting from course
detour · veering · swerving · deflection · tangential · diversion · nonconformity · irregularity
Curving repeatedly, sinuous
- sinuousCurving in flowing turns
- serpentineCurving in repeated bends
- twistingRotating with distortion
- curvingBending in arc
tortuous · labyrinthine · circuitous · indirect · zigzag · convoluted · roundabout · snaking
tangent
Line touching curve once
parenthesis · detour · footnote · interjection · deflection · discursive · oblique · peripheral · extraneous · incidental
verbosity
Unnecessary word excess
- prolixityTedious lengthiness in speech
- discursivenessTendency to wander topically
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
long-windedness · diffuseness · expatiation · meandering · garrulity · wordiness · windiness · loquacity · unfocused · tangential
roam
Travel without fixed purpose
- meanderTo travel without direction
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- strollRelaxed walk for enjoyment
drift · peregrination · amble · saunter · roving · vagabondage · itinerancy · walkabout · gallivanting · perambulation
divergence
Separation from common origin
- departureAct of going away
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- varianceSpread around the mean
straying · detour · veering · swerving · deflection · tangential · diversion · nonconformity · irregularity · unorthodox
winding
Curving repeatedly, sinuous
- sinuousCurving in flowing turns
- serpentineCurving in repeated bends
- twistingRotating with distortion
curving · tortuous · labyrinthine · circuitous · indirect · zigzag · convoluted · roundabout · snaking · undulating
divagationdirectness
Quality of being straightforward
focus · conciseness · brevity · succinctness · straight talk
divagationadherence
Faithful following of something
constancy · steadfastness · sameness · consistency · faithfulness