cursory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- cursorily adverb
- cursoriness noun
Etymology
Origin of cursory
1595–1605; < Late Latin cursōrius running, equivalent to Latin cur ( rere ) to run + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory 1; course
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two months and some cursory learning later, I found myself visiting him in Montréal, deeply envious of all of the bilingual and French-proficient Canadians and American expats he introduced me to.
From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026
A cursory glance at your savings, which total $2.6 million, suggests you have both the opportunity and the privilege of funding your daughter’s continuing education.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026
In interviews, some surrogates said they felt the agencies rushed their screenings or did cursory reviews of their backgrounds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
Reviewing analysts’ opinions of nuclear stocks, of course, is only a start; after the cursory review comes the harder work of understanding and valuing the individual businesses.
From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025
"The border guards cast cursory glances at our documents and waved us on," Wolf recalled.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
