cursory

UK: /ˈkɜː^rsəri/ US: /ˈkɝsəri/ ,(kûr′sə rē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

cur•so•ry /ˈkɜrsəri/   adj. 

1. going rapidly over something; hasty;
   superficial:
   a cursory glance.

cur•so•ri•ly /ˈkɜrsərəli/  adv. 
cur•so•ri•ness, n. [uncountable] See -cur-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cur•so•ry  (kûr′sə rē), adj. 

1. going rapidly over something, without noticing details;
   hasty;
   superficial:
   a cursory glance at a newspaper article.

• Late Latin cursōrius running, equivalent. to Latin cur(rere) to run + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory¹; compare course
• 1595–1605

cur′so•ri•ly, adv. 
cur′so•ri•ness, n. 
Synonyms

quick, brief, passing, haphazard.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cursory / ˈkɜːsərɪ/ adjective

1. hasty and usually superficial; quick

Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin cursōrius of running, from Latin cursus a course, from currere to run

ˈcursorily adverb

ˈcursoriness noun