excursive

[ ik-skur-siv ]

adjective

1. given to making excursions in speech, thought, etc.; wandering; digressive.
2. of the nature of such excursions; rambling; desultory:

   excursive conversation.

excursive

/ ɪkˈskɜːsɪv /

adjective

1. tending to digress
2. involving detours; rambling

Derived Forms

• exˈcursiveness, noun
• exˈcursively, adverb

Other Words From

• ex·cursive·ly adverb
• ex·cursive·ness noun
• hyper·ex·cursive adjective
• hyper·ex·cursive·ly adverb
• hyper·ex·cursive·ness noun
• unex·cursive adjective
• unex·cursive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of excursive¹

1665–75; < Latin excurs ( us ) ( excursus ) + -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of excursive¹

C17: from Latin excursus, from excurrere to run forth

Example Sentences

Charm abounds — again, this is Tom Hanks — but “Masterpiece” is too often a maddeningly excursive endeavor that made me think, more than once, of a Richard Scarry book without the drawings.

From New York Times

Downtown, Montgomery Ward installed a new Customer’s Parlor, where excursive fair visitors could loiter on soft couches while browsing the company’s five-hundred-page catalog.

From Literature

But it’s less linear — the excursive record of a lifelong pilgrim over the 40 years since her groundbreaking debut album, “Horses.”

From Washington Post

Rather, it is a more excursive record of a lifelong pilgrim, illustrated by Smith’s own black-and-white photographs, filled with mementos mori and personal accounts of her travels, her artistic obsessions and inspirations.

From Washington Post

Such excursive enterprise was alien to the genius of the British colonies.

From Project Gutenberg