What does digressively mean?
Digressively is a formal adverb describing the manner of moving away from a main subject in speech or writing. When an author or speaker proceeds digressively, they depart from their central thread — pausing on side remarks, anecdotes, or tangential reflections — before (or without) returning to the point. The word derives from the Latin digredi, meaning 'to step aside' or 'to depart from the path', formed by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to digressive, which itself stems from digression. It appears most often in literary criticism, academic commentary, and reviews, where writers characterize an essayist's or novelist's style as digressively structured — think of Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy or the essays of Charles Lamb, both celebrated for wandering prose. Because it implies a departure from disciplined argument, digressively can carry a subtly critical tone, though it frequently serves as neutral description of a deliberate, meandering technique rather than a flaw.
adverbIn a manner that departs from the main subject or topic, especially in speech or writing; by way of digression.
- In a manner that strays from the main subject or point of a discourse.
"The lecturer spoke digressively for several minutes before returning to his central argument."
"The memoir is written digressively, with each chapter drifting into anecdotes only loosely connected to its theme."
"'To answer your question,' she said, digressively, 'I should first explain what happened in Vienna.'"
Every time someone wanders off-topic mid-story, they're moving digressively — a word built from Latin roots meaning literally 'to walk away.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of digressively
Digressively traces back to the Latin verb digredi ('to go apart, to depart'), formed from di- ('apart') and gradi ('to step, to walk'), the same root seen in progress, egress, and transgress. English borrowed the noun digression and adjective digressive in the late sixteenth century via Latin digressio, and the adverb digressively was formed regularly from the adjective shortly thereafter. Its cognates across European languages — French digressif, Spanish digresivo — reflect the shared Latin inheritance.
Related word forms
How digressively is actually used
Digressively is a formal, literary word, far more common in written criticism and academic prose than in everyday conversation. It often carries a mild connotation of indulgence or lack of discipline in structure, though it can be used neutrally to describe an intentional stylistic approach.
Easily confused with digressively
Digressively is the standard adverbial form derived from digressive, while digressingly is a rarer variant formed directly from the verb digress.