the discussion revolved around

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'the discussion revolved around' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is oftentimes used to mean that the conversation or discussion focused on a certain topic or issue. For example, "The discussion revolved around the effectiveness of the new policy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

The discussion revolved around religious equality.

The New York Times

The discussion revolved around vaccines against the human papillomavirus, which is known to cause cervical, anal and some head and throat cancers, as well as genital warts.

The New York Times

The discussion revolved around a handful of academic research papers, but it really boiled down to this: How do we get out of this mess?

The New York Times

At a round table with the IPAF jury in Casablanca, the discussion revolved around how the jury could guarantee that it would be transparent and credible in selecting the winners.

The Guardian - Books

The discussion revolved around the representation of OLAE activities in Europe within the roadmap.

European Journal of Futures Research

If you attended (or watched) our Mobile-First CrunchUp last week, you'll remember that a lot of the discussion revolved around the pros and cons of using the iOS and Android platforms.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Here the discussion revolves around broader nature-nurture debates and the role that sports are believed to play in society.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The discussion revolving around sustainable business often focuses on how nature should be valued on a company's balance sheet.

The Guardian

The discussion revolves around the cooperation schemes between the OW and RF links that achieve increased system reliability and capacity availability.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The discussion revolves around speeding up particle methods as a whole, in a massive HPC context by making use of the MPI library.

Computer Physics Communications

Some of the discussion revolves around the goal, adopted by nations at the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen, of limiting the global average temperature increase to 2°C.

Science Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "the discussion revolved around", ensure that the subject following the phrase is a clear and specific topic. Avoid vague or ambiguous phrasing to maintain clarity.

Common error

Ensure that the subject following "the discussion revolved around" is specific and well-defined. For example, instead of saying "The discussion revolved around things", specify what those "things" are.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the discussion revolved around" functions as a transitive verb phrase indicating the central topic or subject matter of a conversation or debate. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is grammatically correct and common.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the discussion revolved around" is a grammatically correct phrase that indicates the main topic of a conversation or debate. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, and while not overly frequent, it's common enough for general use, especially in news, scientific, and encyclopedia contexts. To ensure clarity, use a specific subject after the phrase. Alternatives include "the focus of the discussion was on" or "the main topic of discussion was". Key authoritative sources using this phrase include The New York Times and The Guardian.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the focus of the discussion was on

Changes the verb and slightly rephrases the sentence structure.

the main topic of discussion was

Replaces "revolved around" with a more direct statement about the topic.

the conversation centered on

Substitutes "discussion" with "conversation" and "revolved around" with "centered on".

the debate was focused on

Replaces "discussion" with "debate" to indicate a more argumentative context.

the subject under discussion was

Formal rephrasing using "subject under discussion".

the core of the discussion was

Emphasizes the central or most important part of the discussion.

the discussion was primarily about

Uses a simpler structure with "primarily about".

the central theme of the discussion was

Highlights the main theme rather than the literal revolving.

the meeting focused primarily on

Replaces "discussion" with "meeting" to indicate a gathering context.

the emphasis of the discussion was on

Focuses on what was emphasized during the discussion.

FAQs

What does "the discussion revolved around" mean?

It means the main focus or topic of a conversation or debate was a particular subject. It indicates that the discussion centered on or was primarily about that subject.

How can I use "the discussion revolved around" in a sentence?

You can use it like this: "The discussion revolved around the new marketing strategy."

What can I say instead of "the discussion revolved around"?

You can use alternatives like "the focus of the discussion was on", "the main topic of discussion was", or "the conversation centered on" depending on the context.

Is "the discussion revolved around" formal or informal?

It is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although more formal alternatives might be preferred in academic writing.