digression

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.
4. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A deviation, an act of straying from a path.
5. (countable, uncountable) An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.

Synonyms

divagation

deviation

excursus

diversion

aside

excursion

parenthesis

deflexion

deflection

departure

error

gossip

parentheses

redirection

sequel

side road

straying

tangent

wrong way

branch road

many divergences

sallying forth

aberrancy

wandering from the point

aberration

byroad

derailment

derivation

derivative

detour

dicta

dictums

divergence

Translations

digression

digresión

Abschweifung

digressió

digressão

écart

Exkurs

Umschweif

digressus

digressione

excessum

ambages

digressio

desviació

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/

Etymology

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”).