proleptic
(of a date) retroactively calculated using a later calendar than the one used at the time:To make comparisons more simple, all dates are shown using the proleptic Gregorian calendar—that is, the modern Western calendar extrapolated into the past.
involving or characterized by prolepsis, the anticipatory use of arguments, adjectives, etc.: The proleptic idiom “to be dead meat” uses a present-tense description to suggest one’s future doom.
anticipatory; foreshadowing: The proleptic detail of the borrowed scythe clearly reveals that the character’s life on stage will be of short duration.
Origin of proleptic
1- Sometimes pro·lep·ti·cal [proh-lep-ti-kuhl] /proʊˈlɛp tɪ kəl/ .
Other words from proleptic
- pro·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Words Nearby proleptic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use proleptic in a sentence
"Hopeless is here used in a proleptic or anticipatory way" (Hales).
Select Poems of Thomas Gray | Thomas GrayThe italics are ours, but the proleptic idea is a happy invention of the author himself.
The adjective is redundant and "proleptic," as the bird must be "enthralled" before it can be called "captive."
Select Poems of Thomas Gray | Thomas Grayproleptic: 'The flame-tips would become bright and furnish a good omen for your prayer'.
The Last Poems of Ovid | OvidIs Mr. Rossetti acquainted with the proleptic use of adjectives and participles?
Ephemera Critica | John Churton Collins
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