What does digression mean?
A digression is a temporary departure from the main subject of a speech, essay, or conversation, after which the speaker or writer returns to the original thread. The word functions as a noun and covers both the passage itself ('an amusing digression') and the act of departing from the point ('guilty of constant digression'). Digression is most at home in formal, academic, and literary contexts: critics may complain that an essay is marred by needless digressions, while readers may delight in an author's witty asides. Closely related forms include the verb 'digress' (often heard in the phrase 'but I digress') and the adjective 'digressive', which describes writing or speech that wanders from its subject. The word comes from Latin 'digredi', meaning to step away or depart, combining 'di-' (apart) with 'gradi' (to step or walk). Understanding digression helps both writers control their structure and readers follow an argument's path.
nounA digression is a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing, or the act of making such a departure.
- A temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing, before returning to it.
- The act or practice of digressing; straying from the point.
"After a long digression about his childhood, the speaker finally returned to his main argument."
"The professor's frequent digressions into personal anecdote made the lecture far more entertaining than the textbook."
"'Without further digression,' she announced, 'let us turn to the results of the experiment.'"
The plural is standard and common, especially when discussing multiple departures from a topic within a single work.
"The chapter is full of digressions that, while charming, obscure the author's central thesis."
Every time you say you're going 'off on a tangent', you're really describing a digression — and the Latin roots literally mean 'walking away' from your point.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of digression
Digression derives from the Latin verb 'digredi', formed from 'di-' (apart) and 'gradi' (to step or go), so it originally meant to step aside or walk away. It entered English in the early 17th century via Latin participial stems such as 'digressio', used in classical rhetoric for an intentional departure from the main theme. Its cognates share the same root 'gradi': words like 'egress' (going out), 'progress' (stepping forward), and 'transgress' (stepping across). The rhetorical sense of a deliberate aside remains central to its modern use.
Related word forms
How digression is actually used
Digression is a formal-to-neutral word common in academic, literary, and critical writing. It often carries a mildly negative connotation when criticising unfocused writing ('the essay suffers from pointless digressions'), but can be neutral or even positive when praising a charming aside. The plural 'digressions' is common when referring to multiple instances within a text.
Easily confused with digression
'Disgression' is not a standard English word; 'digression' (with an 'i') is the correct spelling for a departure from a topic.