1. the quality or state of being discursive; a tendency to digress or wander from the main topic in speech or writing
Usage: often used to describe a style that is rambling or lacking focus
2. the quality of proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than by intuition
Usage: philosophical or formal usage

Examples

• The professor's discursiveness made it difficult for students to follow the main argument of the lecture.
• Her writing style is marked by discursiveness; she often includes lengthy tangents before returning to her central point.
• The discursiveness of the novel appealed to readers who enjoyed exploring philosophical ideas through digression.
• His tendency toward discursiveness meant that a simple question could lead to a thirty-minute explanation.
• The editor criticized the discursiveness of the report and asked for a more streamlined version.
• In philosophy, discursiveness refers to knowledge gained through reasoning rather than direct perception.