anagnorisis

[ an-ag-nawr-uh-sis, -nohr- ]
/ ˌæn ægˈnɔr ə sɪs, -ˈnoʊr- /

noun, plural an·ag·no·ri·ses [an-ag-nawr-uh-seez, -nohr-] /ˌæn ægˈnɔr əˌsiz, -ˈnoʊr-/.

(in ancient Greek tragedy) the critical moment of recognition or discovery, especially preceding peripeteia.

Origin of anagnorisis

1790–1800; < Latin < Greek, equivalent to anagnōrí(zein) to know again ( ana- ana- + gnōr-, cognate with Latin -gnōr- in ignōrāre to ignore + -izein -ize) + -sis -sis; perhaps gnōr- from adj. derivative *gnō-ró- knowing

Words nearby anagnorisis

anagen, anagenesis, anaglyph, anaglyphoscope, anaglypta, anagnorisis, anagoge, anagogic, anagogy, anagram, anagrammatize

Example sentences from the Web for anagnorisis

  • Now then for anagnorisis, comic peripeteia, division into acts, and the rest of the wallet!

    Two Sides of the Face |Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

  • It was often associated with the anagnorisis or recognition.

    Play-Making |William Archer

  • Il Lasca, who deserves great credit for his perspicacity, carried on an unremitting warfare against the comedy of anagnorisis.

    Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature |John Addington Symonds

British Dictionary definitions for anagnorisis

anagnorisis
/ (ˌænəɡˈnɒrɪsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)

(in Greek tragedy) the recognition or discovery by the protagonist of the identity of some character or the nature of his own predicament, which leads to the resolution of the plot; denouement

Word Origin for anagnorisis

from Greek: recognition