Wiktionary

digression

English

edit
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Old French digressiun or disgressiun, from Latin dīgressiōnem, from dīgressus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs), the past passive participle of dīgredior (“to step away, to digress”), from dis- + gradior (“to step, walk, go”).

Pronunciation

edit
  • (UK) IPA(key): /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/, /dɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /daɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

edit

digression (countable and uncountable, plural digressions)

  1. An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
    The lectures included lengthy digressions on topics ranging from the professor's dog to the meaning of life.
    • 2022 November 21, Barney Ronay, “Iran’s brave and powerful gesture is a small wonder from a World Cup of woe”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      History tells us stodgy, cautious stuff, cardigan-football is the way to go here. The 1966 World Cup kicked off with 0-0 draw against Uruguay so tedious the Guardian match report contains a whimsical digression on the writer’s urge to drift off to sleep in the second half.
  2. (generally uncountable) The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.
    make digression... by way of digression...
  3. (obsolete) A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.
    • 1517, Stephen Hawes, Pastime of Pleasure, i, ll. 12 ff:
      Nature...
      More stronger hadde her operacyon
      Than she hath nowe in her dygressyon.
  4. (now rare) A deviation, an act of straying from a path.
    • 1670, Guillaume Girard, translated by Charles Cotton, History of the Life of the Duke of Espernon, Bk. i, Ch. iv, p. 144:
      By this little digression into Gascony, the Duke had an opportunity... to re-inforce himself with some particular Servants of his.
  5. (astronomy, physics) An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Bk. VI, Ch. iv, p. 288:
      This digression [of the Sun] is not equall, but neare the Æquinoxiall intersections, it is right and greater, near the Solstices, more oblique and lesser.

Synonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit
edit

Translations

edit

See also

edit

References

edit

French

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin dīgressiōnem.

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): /di.ɡʁɛ.sjɔ̃/ ~ /di.ɡʁe.sjɔ̃/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

edit

digression f (plural digressions)

  1. digression

Further reading

edit

Middle English

edit

Noun

edit

digression

  1. digression

Swedish

edit

Noun

edit

digression c

  1. (somewhat solemn) a digression

Declension

edit
Declension of digression
nominative genitive
singular indefinite digression digressions
definite digressionen digressionens
plural indefinite digressioner digressioners
definite digressionerna digressionernas

See also

edit

References

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=digression&oldid=82443414"