There are a ton of words in the American English language — more than 600,000, to be exact. While you likely know a large number of them, chances are there are some words that you don’t know (yet).

Take the term discourse, for example: What does this word mean, and where did it come from? We’ll tell you.

Read on as we explore the English word discourse to uncover its definition, origin, and more.

What Is the Definition of Discourse?

According to the Collins Dictionary, discourse is written or spoken communication between people — especially serious discussion of a particular subject. In simpler terms, it’s communication of thought by words.

In linguistics, our word of the day is any unity of connected speech or writing longer than a sentence. And when used as a transitive verb, discourse means to utter or to give forth (musical sounds).

What Is the Etymology of Discourse?

A derivative of the Latin prefix dis– (meaning “away”) and the root word currere (meaning “to run”), the word discourse was first noted in the late 14th century. Discourse also derives from the verb discurrere and the Medieval Latin discursus.

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Discourse?

Our word of the day can be defined as written or spoken communication, but what are its synonyms and antonyms?

To refresh your memory (in case you’ve forgotten since grade school), a synonym is a word or phrase with a meaning that is the same or similar to another word or phrase. In contrast to synonyms, an antonym is a word or phrase of opposite meaning.

Synonyms of discourse include:

Essay
Address
Small talk
Chin music
Yapping
Yammering
Chit chat
Run-in
Difference of opinion
Articulation
Knockdown and drag out
Oral communication
Lecture
Exchange of views
Deliberation
Flowery language
Public speaking
Talk
Lecture
Sermon
Hold forth
Argument
Pep talk
Yackety yak
Tittle tattle
Interchange
Debate
Disquisition
Chewing the fat
Verbal exchange
Tongue lashing
Disputation
Verbal onslaught
Objection
Diatribe
Stream of abuse
Flak
Stricture
Verbal attack
Critique
Write up
Chalk talk

Antonyms of discourse include:

Quiet
Silence
Speechless
Decrease
Ignore
Keep quiet
Agree
Abridge
Dissuasion
Unconnectedness
Forget

How Can You Use Discourse in a Sentence?

Discourse is a formal lengthy exposition of some subject, either spoken or written.

Now that you are up to speed with the meaning behind our word of the day, it’s time to put your newly discovered knowledge to the test. Quiz yourself to see how many correct sentences you can come up with using discourse.

Not sure where to start? Check out our example sentences listed below:

“Serious debate between candidates should engage in serious political discourse.”

“Did you know that discourse analysis is a popular qualitative analysis technique that is also known as critical discourse analysis?”

“Do you have any good examples of discourse?”

“When studying discourse analysis, you might focus on how values, assumptions, and beliefs are communicated.”

“Are you familiar with the six characteristics of discourse communities?”

“Like other types of communication, jokes are examples of discourse.”

“Miss Jenning had us read Macbeth by William Shakespeare before asking us which type of discourse it was.”

“After considering the opening paragraph of Mr. Smith’s play, I believe argumentive discourse was used.”

What Are the Different Types of Discourse?

Believe it or not, there is more than one type of discourse. Yup, it’s true — the different types of discourse include:

Descriptive discourse. This type of discourse relies on the five senses — hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch — often with empathy and emotion involved.

Narrative discourse. This form of communication tells a story — more often than not, with empathy and emotion involved.

Expository discourse. Commonly used to inform the audience of something with relatively neutral language, it’s not meant to evoke or persuade emotion.

Argumentative discourse. This is a form of communication that is meant to convince an audience that the speaker or writer is correct by using evidence and reason.

Poetic discourse. This form of communication is made up of creative, fictional writing and includes novels, dramas, and poems.

Transactional discourse. This form of communication is used to put something into action and generally doesn’t rely so much on literary devices.

Expressive discourse. This form of discourse comprises acts of literary writing that isn’t non-fiction but is creative. This could include letters, blogs, and memoirs.

What Are Translations of Discourse?

There are many ways to say the word discourse — here are some of them:

Italian — discorso
Vietnamese — đàm luận, bài diển văn, cuộc nói chuyện
Brazilian Portuguese — discurso
French — le discours
Ukrainian — дискурс, ораторствувати, розмовляти
Polish — rozprawiać
Thai — วาทกรรม, สนทนา, ปาฐกถา
Portugese — o discurso, a dissertação
Latin — sermo, loquela
Catalan — discurs
Korean — 담화, 논설, 강화
Greek — ομιλία
Japanese — 講話, 演説, 会談
Czech — diskurz, rozmluva
Chinese (simplified) — 话语, 论述, 交谈
Russian — дискурс, рассуждать, ораторствовать, излагать в форме лекции
Swedish — samtala, hålla tal
Danish — diskurs
German — der Diskurs, die Abhandlung, das Gespräch
Dutch — gesprek, toespraak, redevoering, preek

Conclusion

Discourse simply refers to an exchange of ideas. While they are often heated exchanges, there is always a sort of “give and take” or order between the participants. With that said, it’s easy to see how our word of the day is beloved by teachers from all corners of the globe.

Sources:

Discourse: definition | Cambridge English Dictionary

Discourse definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

Discourse synonyms: 1 141 Words and Phrases for Discourse | Power Thesaurus

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.