peripeteia
[ per-uh-pi-tahy-uh, -tee-uh ]
noun
a sudden turn of events or an unexpected reversal, especially in a literary work.
Origin of peripeteia
1- Also per·i·pe·ti·a; pe·rip·e·ty [puh-rip-i-tee]. /pəˈrɪp ɪ ti/.
Words Nearby peripeteia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use peripeteia in a sentence
Now then for anagnorisis, comic peripeteia, division into acts, and the rest of the wallet!
Two Sides of the Face | Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
British Dictionary definitions for peripeteia
peripeteia
peripetia peripety (pəˈrɪpətɪ)
/ (ˌpɛrɪpɪˈtaɪə, -ˈtɪə) /
noun
(esp in drama) an abrupt turn of events or reversal of circumstances
Origin of peripeteia
1C16: from Greek, from peri- + piptein to fall (to change suddenly, literally: to fall around)
Derived forms of peripeteia
- peripeteian or peripetian, adjective
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
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