mealtime discussion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mealtime discussion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to conversations or topics that are discussed during a meal, often in a social or family setting. Example: "The mealtime discussion often revolves around our daily experiences and plans for the weekend."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Recently, he spoke openly of their conversation at a restaurant where he was dining with guests, according to a person told of the mealtime discussion.

The New York Times

These questions had been brought up at a mealtime discussion during Damian's recent visit to the Abbey of Monte Cassino.

SEP

Babbage's idea of a general-purpose calculating engine was never forgotten, especially at Cambridge, and was on occasion a lively topic of mealtime discussion at the war-time headquarters of the Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, birthplace of the electronic digital computer.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The physicians said that their family discussions at mealtime were about chemistry, science, biology and topics relating to healthcare.

HuffPost

Mealtimes provide opportunities for interaction, discussion, handling conflicts, telling and retelling family stories, and establishing and maintaining routines and identities [ 22– 25].

BMC Geriatrics

If there are different dietary needs or mealtime preferences, include these in your discussions about when the kitchen gets used by whom, and how to keep food preparation areas and utensils clean/separate to meet everyone's dietary preferences.

WikiHow

Business was discussed at every mealtime.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

So, if you want your child to have firm ideological beliefs, eschew decorum and encourage political discussions at mealtimes – just don't expect them to agree always with you.

Independent

Through understanding of the existing literature and discussions between the authors, a topic guide was designed to prompt mothers to describe mealtime occasions in their family including how they get their children to eat something healthy, and how they respond when a child requests food they don't want him/her to eat (see table 1).

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Mealtime at John Jay Dining Hall.

Columbia University

Mealtime gives me hope.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mealtime discussion" when you want to specifically highlight a conversation that occurred during a meal, especially when the context of the meal is relevant to the discussion.

Common error

Avoid using "mealtime discussion" when the fact that the conversation happened during a meal is irrelevant. In such cases, simply use "discussion" or "conversation".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mealtime discussion" functions as a noun phrase, typically acting as a subject or object in a sentence. As noted by Ludwig AI, it refers to conversations that occur during a meal.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mealtime discussion" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe conversations that take place during a meal. While Ludwig AI confirms its usability, it is a relatively infrequent expression. Usage is generally neutral, fitting both news and casual contexts. For more specific situations, consider alternatives such as "dinner table conversation" or "lunch discussion". When the meal context is irrelevant, using simply "discussion" is preferable. The most authoritative sources using the term are The New York Times and academic publications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mealtime conversation

A more general term for conversation that happens during any meal.

dinner discussion

Shortens the phrase while keeping the focus on the discussion during dinner.

dinner table conversation

Focuses specifically on conversations occurring at the dinner table, implying a more formal setting.

dinner table talk

Highlights casual conversations at the dinner table, similar to "table talk".

family meal conversation

Emphasizes that the conversation takes place during a family meal.

lunch discussion

Replaces "mealtime" with "lunch", specifying a particular meal.

breakfast discussion

Replaces "mealtime" with "breakfast", specifying a particular meal.

supper conversation

Uses "supper" instead of "dinner" or "mealtime", denoting an evening meal.

mealtime chat

Replaces "discussion" with "chat", suggesting a more casual conversation.

table talk

A more informal term for conversation at the table during a meal.

FAQs

What does "mealtime discussion" mean?

A "mealtime discussion" refers to a conversation or exchange of ideas that occurs while people are eating a meal together.

What's a good alternative to "mealtime discussion"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "dinner table conversation", "mealtime conversation", or "table talk".

Is "mealtime discussion" formal or informal?

"Mealtime discussion" is relatively neutral. More formal alternatives might include "deliberations over dinner", while informal options could be "table talk".

How can I use "mealtime discussion" in a sentence?

You might say, "The family's "mealtime discussion" often revolved around current events" or "The details emerged during a "mealtime discussion" at the conference."