discussive

Dis­cussive is an English adjective that describes something intended to provoke, encourage, or facilitate discussion. It is relatively uncommon in contemporary usage, and is more often replaced by terms such as discursive, debatable, or discussion-oriented. When used, discussive tends to refer to materials, prompts, or contexts whose primary purpose is to invite readers or participants to discuss the subject rather than to present definitive conclusions.

Origin and form: The word is derived from discuss, via the adjective-forming suffix -ive, from Latin discutere, meaning to shake apart or examine thoroughly. In English, discussive has appeared sporadically since the early modern period, and today it is mostly encountered in academic or formal writing.

Usage notes: Discussive language may appear in prompts such as "discussive questions" or "discussive essays" that aim to surface multiple perspectives rather than argue a single point. It is distinct from discursive, which describes a style that tends to roam across topics, and from debative, which centers on argumentation. The noun discussiveness or discussibility is sometimes used to refer to the capacity of a topic to provoke discussion.

See also: discuss; discourse; discursive; debative; discussiveness; discussibility.