The definition of “digress” is to turn aside, especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument. This term is often used when someone moves away from the main topic they are discussing or writing about and starts talking or writing about something else.

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The definition of degress is to turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument.

Answered from Suzanne Bell

What's The Definition Of Degress?

The uncommon word “degress” refers to diverting from a subject or losing focus, especially in discourse or reasoning. Fully understanding this term's precise meaning and usage allows for articulate, effective communication. This comprehensive guide will examine the definition, history, usage, grammar, and subtleties of degress to elucidate this nuanced word.

Table of Contents

• Detailed Definition and Synonyms
• How Degress Differs from Similar Terms
• Extensive Examples Demonstrating Usage
• Reasons to Understand Degress Meaning
• Origins and Etymology
• Appropriate Contexts for Using Degress
• Grammar and Conjugation
• Contrast with Casual Conversation
• Techniques to Get Back on Topic After Degressing
• Common Errors and Misuse
• Conclusion
• References

Detailed Definition and Synonyms

Degress functions as a verb meaning to turn aside, shift, or wander away from the main subject or argument in discourse or reasoning. It refers to departing from the original point or losing focus of a discussion and transitioning to peripheral, unrelated, or less important topics.

Synonyms for degress include:

• Digress – temporarily stray from main point
• Rambling – speak or write disconnectedly
• Stray – meander away from original course
• Wander – move away aimlessly
• Drift – let attention or conversation float away
• Veer – change direction suddenly
• Swerve – abruptly shift course
• Deviate – diverge from a set path

While all these terms refer to movement away from a fixed direction or topic, degress implies a more forceful, deliberate, and sweeping departure as opposed to a brief, accidental, or temporary digression before returning to the core subject.

How Degress Differs from Similar Terms

Degress is often confused with other terms that relate to changing subjects or courses:

Digress – Briefly depart before reverting to main topic.

Regress – Return to a previous state or point; opposite of progress.

Egress – The act of exiting or leaving a place.

Progress – Advance forward rather than turning aside.

Let's examine how the subtle distinctions in the meaning of these similar words sets degress apart:

As illustrated in the table above, only degress indicates an intentional, permanent, and sweeping change of subject rather than a temporary, physical, or backwards-oriented shift. Becoming aware of these nuanced differences allows for proper usage and eliminates confusion.

Extensive Examples Demonstrating Usage

Because degress is relatively uncommon in everyday language, seeing it used in various contexts can provide clarity. Here are expanded examples showcasing how it is applied:

• During the political debate, the candidate blatantly degressed from responding to questions about his voting record and instead launched into an irrelevant tirade against his opponent.
• I could tell from the professors' expressions that my presentation to the thesis committee had severely degressed from my intended key message into a rambling, unfocused discourse.
• The preacher degressed into a fire-and-brimstone sermon completely unrelated to the stated scripture for that Sunday.
• In the middle of explaining the microwave's safety features, the salesman abruptly degressed into a digression about his favorite recipes.
• The accounting department meeting degressed into angry arguments about office politics, obstructing any productive discussion of the quarterly budget.

These examples demonstrate how degress indicates a major diversion from an intended theme, not just a minor, temporary, or unintentional deviation before returning to the primary topic.

Reasons to Understand Degress Meaning

While not prevalent in casual conversations, having a grasp of degress can be highly beneficial for:

• Academic writing: Analyzing transitions in scholarly papers and arguments.
• Public discourse: Critiquing political debates, lectures, sermons, speeches.
• Logic and reasoning: Evaluating whether lines of argumentation stray off course.
• Editing: Identifying tangents and non-sequiturs.
• Legal contexts: Recognizing evasive witness testimony.
• Instruction: Keeping classroom discussions on topic.
• Precision: Expressing yourself clearly to avoid misinterpretation.

In summary, degress fills a lexical gap by providing a term to specifically convey the concept of deliberately shifting focus and losing thread of a central theme.

Origins and Etymology

The word degress traces back to Latin degressus, from the verb degredi meaning “to turn away or step aside”. It combines the prefix de- meaning away + gradi “to step/walk”.

Related English words like digress, progress, regress, egress share this root gradus meaning step or pace. But the de- prefix gives degress a distinct connotation of intentionally turning direction.

Degress entered English in the 15th century through Medieval Latin. The parallel noun form digression arose later around the 17th century.

Appropriate Contexts for Using Degress

Because degress is obscure and formal-sounding, it may seem pretentious or awkward in typical conversation. But it can serve a valuable purpose in certain contexts:

• Academic writing in linguistics, literary critique, debate analysis
• Political speeches and debates
• Legal proceedings and questioning
• Theological analysis of sermons
• Official public addresses or presentations
• Classroom lectures and discussions
• Instructional writing on logic, reason, argumentation
• Editorial critique of writing and communication

Using degress precisely conveys your meaning to audiences who share the proper terminology. But avoid applying it liberally in casual exchanges where simpler phrasing will suffice.

Grammar and Conjugation

Degress functions as an intransitive verb – it does not take a direct object. Here is the full conjugation paradigm:

The verb degress is always used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to convey what is being diverted from, such as:

• He degressed from the lecture topicby discussing his personal life.
• My essay degresses into irrelevant detailsin the last section.

Contrast with Casual Conversation

In informal, everyday dialogue, degress would sound excessively fancy and formal. More natural phrasing for casual conversation includes:

• “let's get back on topic”
• “don't change the subject”
• “we've wandered off course”
• “that's irrelevant now”
• “you're going off on a tangent”

Save degress for contexts where specialized, sophisticated terminology is appropriate. For most situations, standard English allows communicating the same concept conversationally.

Techniques to Get Back on Topic After Degressing

When a discussion degresses, how can you steer it back to the central theme? Useful techniques include:

• Directly but politely interjecting “Let's return to our original point about…”
• Open-ended questions like “How does that relate to what we were discussing before?”
• Summarizing the previous on-topic content as a reminder.
• Using visual aids like slides to re-ground the conversation.
• Timeboxing tangents by saying “Let's spend 5 more minutes on this tangent and then refocus on…”
• Bringing the dialogue back to agenda items if in a meeting.

Employing tactful facilitation skills takes practice but prevents wasted degressions.

Common Errors and Misuse

Because degress sounds similar to other terms, it is often misapplied:

• Substituting for digress when a minor, temporary deviation is intended.
• Confusing with egress to mean physical exiting rather than topic change.
• Thinking it means regress and implies going backwards to a previous topic.
• Assuming degress means progressing forward rather than turning aside.
• Using as a noun instead of the proper term digression.
• Applying degress to unrelated concepts like failure, mistakes, or inadequacy.

Conclusion

In summary, the somewhat obscure term “degress” provides a specific way to convey deliberately shifting focus away from a central topic or argument. Understanding the definition and contexts where degress is appropriate can enrich vocabulary and precision.

But casual language typically offers simpler phrasing for everyday speech. Avoiding misuse requires learning the nuances between degress and related terms like digress, regress, egress and progress. With a solid grasp of this word's meaning, both written communication and analytical thinking can be strengthened.

References

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degress
• The Free Dictionary. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/degress
• Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/degress
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digression
• Lloyd, Robert J. “A Digression on Digressions.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 11, no. 1, 1960, pp. 14–19. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/355049. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.