What does discoursing mean?
"Discoursing" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "discourse," meaning to speak or write formally and at length about a subject, or, in its older sense, simply to converse. It carries a distinctly formal, even scholarly connotation, evoking images of philosophers holding forth in lecture halls or essayists expounding at leisure. In modern usage it is somewhat literary or old-fashioned, though it survives readily in phrases such as "discoursing on the state of politics." A key grammatical feature is that when discoursing introduces a topic, it typically pairs with the preposition "on" or "upon." Derived from the Latin discurrere, meaning "to run about," the word suggests a mind ranging freely across a subject rather than addressing a single narrow point. Writers reach for it precisely because of this elevated register: it signals sustained, considered speech rather than casual chat, making it a useful word for describing lectures, sermons, essays, and extended intellectual conversation.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'discourse')Engaging in conversation or discussion; speaking or writing formally and at length on a subject.
- To speak or write formally and at length on a topic (often followed by 'on' or 'upon').
- To engage in conversation; to converse.
"The scholars spent the evening discoursing on the nature of justice."
"The professor was discoursing eloquently on the decline of classical rhetoric."
"They passed a pleasant afternoon discoursing by the fireside."
When you discourse, you literally 'run about' a subject — the word comes from Latin discurrere, 'to run to and fro.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discoursing
"Discoursing" derives from the verb "discourse," which entered English from Old French "discourir" (modern French "discourir"), itself from Latin "discurrere," composed of "dis-" (apart) and "currere" (to run), originally meaning "to run about." In medieval Latin and Old French the word shifted toward the sense of reasoning through or running over a subject in speech. English adopted both the noun and verb senses around the late Middle Ages, with the formal expository sense becoming dominant by the early modern period.
Related word forms
How discoursing is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned or literary in tone; common in 18th- and 19th-century prose. Usually takes the prepositions 'on' or 'upon' when introducing a topic. The conversational sense is now rare outside literary contexts.
Easily confused with discoursing
'Discussing' is the neutral everyday word for talking something over with others, while 'discoursing' is a more formal or literary term for speaking at length, often in an expository way.