noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
UK:/dɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
US:/daɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D AY0 G R EH1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The lectures included lengthy digressions on topics ranging from the professor's dog to the meaning of life.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: generally uncountable
Examples
make digression... by way of digression...
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A deviation, an act of straying from a path.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
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”).
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
շեղում
(šeġum)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Armenian:
խոտորում
(xotorum)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Bulgarian:
отклонение
(otklonenie)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Catalan:
digressió
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Czech:
odbočka
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Danish:
afvigelse
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Danish:
sidespring
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Dutch:
uitweiding
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Finnish:
poikkeama
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Finnish:
poikkeaminen
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Finnish:
syrjähyppy
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
French:
digression
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
German:
Exkurs
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
German:
Umschweif
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
German:
Abschweifung
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Ancient Greek:
ἐκβολή
(ekbolḗ)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Ancient Greek:
παρεκβολή
(parekbolḗ)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Hindi:
विषयांतरण
(viṣyāntraṇ)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Hindi:
विषयांतर
(viṣyāntar)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Hungarian:
eltérés
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Icelandic:
útúrdúr
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Italian:
digressione
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Latin:
dīgressiō
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Polish:
dygresja
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Polish:
wtrącenie
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Portuguese:
digressão
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Romanian:
digresiune
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Russian:
отступле́ние
(otstuplénije)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Russian:
отклоне́ние
(otklonénije)
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Scottish Gaelic:
taobh-cheum
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Spanish:
digresión
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Spanish:
divagación
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Spanish:
disquisición
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Swedish:
avvikelse
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Swedish:
utsvävning
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Tagalog:
kaliklikan
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Turkish:
arasöz
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
Turkish:
uzaklaşma
— a departure from the main subject in speech or writing
