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Socratic irony

noun
  1. pretended ignorance in discussion.

Origin of Socratic irony

First recorded in 1870–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for socratic irony

Socratic irony

noun
  1. philosophy a means by which the pretended ignorance of a skilful questioner leads the person answering to expose his own ignorance
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