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# discourse

«discourse» in Mova's school dictionary: **Serious talk or discussion between people; the way people…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (discourse, discourses); verb (discourse, discourses, discoursed, discoursing — formal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) Serious talk or discussion between people; the way people talk and write about a subject: «public discourse». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#m1)

2) (formal) A long, serious speech or piece of writing on a subject, such as a sermon. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#m2)

3) (verb, formal) To talk or write at length about something: «He discoursed on the stars». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#m3)

4) (language study) Any stretch of language longer than a sentence: conversation or connected text. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

A formal exam word met in English, history and church texts. In church: a «discourse» can mean a long sermon or teaching, such as Jesus' discourses in the Gospels. In news: «political discourse». Phrases: «public discourse», «a discourse on», «discourse about».

### examples

- The professor gave a long discourse on volcanoes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x1)
- Polite discourse means listening as well as talking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x2)
- Grandad discoursed on the old days for an hour. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x3)
- In the Gospel, Jesus' discourse at the Last Supper is long and tender. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x4)
- Bad language has no place in classroom discourse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x5)
- The book is a discourse on kindness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x6)
- "Oh no," replied the counsellor; "I can only discourse on topics which every one should understand." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/#x7)

### note

Formal word. Pronounced DIS-corse (noun), dis-CORSE (verb, sometimes). In speech say «talk», «discussion» or «speech». Do not confuse with «discus» or «course».

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «discourse» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/discourse/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.