apophasis
[ uh-pof-uh-sis ]
/ əˈpɒf ə sɪs /
Save This Word!
noun
Rhetoric. denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated, as “I shall not mention Caesar's avarice, nor his cunning, nor his morality.”
Theology. knowledge, understanding, or description of God through negative statements about qualities and characteristics that God does not possess, as "God is not confined by space or time."See also negative theology.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Compare cataphasis.
Origin of apophasis
OTHER WORDS FROM apophasis
ap·o·phat·ic [ap-uh-fat-ik], /ˌæp əˈfæt ɪk/, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
British Dictionary definitions for apophasis
apophasis
/ (əˈpɒfəsɪs) /
noun
rhetoric the device of mentioning a subject by stating that it will not be mentionedI shall not discuss his cowardice or his treachery
Word Origin for apophasis
C17: via Latin from Greek: denial, from apo- + phanai to say
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012