Added 9 October 2026
digression
/dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/ noun
In Latin: dīgressiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about digression at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
The lectures included lengthy digressions on topics ranging from the professor's dog to the meaning of life.
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The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, particularly for rhetorical effect.
make digression... by way of digression...
- A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)