What does digressiveness mean?
Digressiveness is the tendency to wander away from a main subject while speaking or writing, following side paths before — or sometimes without ever — returning to the point. The word derives from "digressive," which traces back through Latin digredi, "to step aside," combining dis- ("apart") with gradi ("to step, walk"). It belongs largely to literary and critical vocabulary: reviewers may praise an essayist's digressiveness as evidence of a lively, associative mind, in the tradition of writers like Laurence Sterne or Michel de Montaigne, or condemn it as shapelessness and self-indulgence. The connotation therefore depends heavily on context — charming spontaneity in one work, poor discipline in another. Related forms include the adjective "digressive," the adverb "digressively," the verb "digress," and the noun "digression." Near-synonyms include rambling, discursiveness, and diffuseness, while its opposites are conciseness, directness, and focus.
nounThe quality or tendency of departing from the main subject in speech or writing; the habit of straying into digressions.
- The tendency or habit of drifting away from a main subject in speech or writing, often regarded as either a stylistic charm or a flaw of organization depending on context.
"The professor's charm lay less in his arguments than in his delightful digressiveness."
"The essay's digressiveness makes it feel like a lively conversation rather than an argument."
"Critics faulted the novel for its digressiveness, though others found its detours its greatest pleasure."
Tristram Shandy's narrator never finishes his autobiography because of exactly this trait — and readers have loved him for it since 1759.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of digressiveness
Digressiveness is formed from the adjective "digressive" plus the suffix -ness, which creates abstract nouns denoting qualities. "Digressive" comes from Latin digredi, "to go apart or step aside," formed from dis- ("apart") and gradi ("to step, walk") — the same root that gives English egress, ingress, progress, transgress, and grade. The adjective entered English around the late sixteenth century, and the derived noun followed as English developed its characteristic -ness abstractions.
Related word forms
How digressiveness is actually used
A formal, somewhat literary word used chiefly in criticism and discussion of prose style. Its connotation is mixed: digressiveness can be praised as wit, personality, or richness, or criticized as self-indulgence and lack of discipline. It is far rarer than the adjective "digressive" or the noun "digression."
Easily confused with digressiveness
"Digression" is the act of straying from the topic itself, while "digressiveness" is the abstract quality or habitual tendency to stray.
"Aggressiveness" denotes hostility or forcefulness, whereas "digressiveness" refers only to wandering off-topic; they rhyme but are unrelated in meaning.