aporetical
|a-po-re-ti-cal|
/ˌæpəˈrɛtɪkəl/
(aporetic)
philosophical impasse
Etymology
'aporetical' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'aporia', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'poros' meant 'passage' or 'way'.
'aporia' entered Late Latin and Medieval scholarly usage and produced the adjective 'aporetic' (and variant 'aporetical') in modern English; thus 'aporia' → Medieval/Latin adoption → English 'aporetic'/'aporetical'.
Initially, it meant 'a lack of a way through or a puzzling impasse,' and over time it came to describe things 'relating to or producing such an impasse or puzzlement' in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or expressing 'aporia' — a puzzling difficulty, paradox, or impasse; causing puzzlement or suggesting an insoluble problem.
The philosopher's final paragraph was aporetical, leaving readers uncertain how to resolve the argument.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/21 12:36