direct discourse

[ dih-rekt-dis-kawrs, dahy- ]
See synonyms for direct discourse on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a representation of speech in which the speaker's exact words are repeated, as in She said, “I'm not at all hungry.”

Origin of direct discourse

1
First recorded in 1845–50
  • Also called di·rect speech [dih-rekt-speech, dahy-] /dɪˈrɛkt ˈspitʃ, daɪ-/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024