aporias
|a-po-ri-as|
🇺🇸
/əˈpɔriəz/
🇬🇧
/əˈpɔːrɪəz/
(aporia)
state of puzzlement / impasse
Etymology
'aporias' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'aporia' (ἀπορία), where 'a-' meant 'without' and 'poros' meant 'passage' or 'way'.
'aporia' passed from Ancient Greek into scholarly Latin and later into modern European languages; it entered English usage in philosophical and rhetorical contexts and appears in modern English as 'aporia' (plural 'aporias').
Initially it meant 'impassability' or 'lack of passage,' but over time it evolved into meanings of 'perplexity,' 'philosophical puzzle,' and a rhetorical expression of doubt.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a philosophical puzzle, paradox, or an impasse in reasoning — a state of puzzlement or doubt about how to proceed.
The philosopher outlined several aporias that challenged the argument's assumptions.
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Noun 2
a rhetorical device expressing doubt, hesitation, or irresolution for effect.
Her lecture employed aporias to highlight the complexity of the issue.
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Noun 3
in literary and critical theory, an undecidable contradiction or irresolvable tension within a text or argument.
Poststructuralist critics analyze the aporias of the novel to expose its internal tensions.
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Last updated: 2025/09/21 13:32