prolepsis
[ proh-lep-sis ]
/ proʊˈlɛp sɪs /
noun, plural pro·lep·ses [proh-lep-seez]. /proʊˈlɛp siz/.
Rhetoric. the anticipation of possible objections in order to answer them in advance.
the assigning of a person, event, etc., to a period earlier than the actual one; the representation of something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred; prochronism.
the use of a descriptive word in anticipation of its becoming applicable.
a fundamental conception or assumption in Epicureanism or Stoicism arising spontaneously in the mind without conscious reflection; thought provoked by sense perception.
Pathology. the return of an attack of a periodic disease or of a paroxysm before the expected time or at progressively shorter intervals.
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Origin of prolepsis
OTHER WORDS FROM prolepsis
pro·lep·tic [proh-lep-tik], /proʊˈlɛp tɪk/, pro·lep·ti·cal, adjectivepro·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby prolepsis
prolation, prole, proleg, prolegomenon, prolegomenous, prolepsis, proletarian, proletarianism, proletarianize, proletariat, proletarize
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for prolepsis
It was a prolepsis of the soul, reaching upward towards its source and goal.
Christianity and Greek Philosophy|Benjamin Franklin CockerAn instance of prolepsis, or "anticipation" in the use of a word.
The Lady of the Lake|Sir Walter Scott
British Dictionary definitions for prolepsis
prolepsis
/ (prəʊˈlɛpsɪs) /
noun plural -ses (-siːz)
a rhetorical device by which objections are anticipated and answered in advance
use of a word after a verb in anticipation of its becoming applicable through the action of the verb, as flat in hammer it flat
Derived forms of prolepsis
proleptic, adjectiveWord Origin for prolepsis
C16: via Late Latin from Greek: anticipation, from prolambanein to anticipate, from pro- ² + lambanein to take
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
Medical definitions for prolepsis
prolepsis
[ prō-lĕp′sĭs ]
n. pl. pro•lep•ses (-sēz)
The return of paroxysms of a recurrent disease at intervals that progressively become shorter.
Other words from prolepsis
pro•lep′tic (-lĕp′tĭk) adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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