Digressiveness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The nature of departing from the primary topic in dialogue or text is evident in this trait
2. This attribute reflects the tendency to veer away from the core issue when communicating ideas
3. The quality of frequently moving away from the central theme in conversation or writing

Etymology: "Digressiveness" is a plain English compound: the adjective "digressive," meaning given to digressing or wandering away from the main subject, with the suffix "-ness" added to turn that quality into a noun. The adjective itself comes from "digress," which traces back to Latin "digredi," meaning to step or go apart, built from "dis-" (apart) and "gradi" (to step). The suffix "-ness" is an old native English ending, and attaching it to adjectives like this is a productive and entirely ordinary way of naming a quality.

Synonyms: tangentiality, divagation, deviation, straying, sidetracking

Antonyms: focus, concentration, directness, sticking, adherence