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.
Origin of prolepsis
OTHER WORDS FROM prolepsis
pro·lep·tic [proh-lep-tik] /proʊˈlɛp tɪk/, pro·lep·ti·cal, adjective pro·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby prolepsis
prolation,
prole,
proleg,
prolegomenon,
prolegomenous,
prolepsis,
proletarian,
proletarianism,
proletarianize,
proletariat,
proletarize
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
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.