# digression

> English word · Noun · IPA /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/ · frequency rank #70,605

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

## 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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/digression