apostrophation
|a-pos-tro-pha-tion|
🇺🇸
/əˌpɑːstrəˈfeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/əˌpɒstrəˈfeɪʃ(ə)n/
use or act of an apostrophe / direct address
Etymology
'apostrophation' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apostrophē', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and 'strephein' meant 'to turn'.
'apostrophation' developed in English by combining the base 'apostrophe' (borrowed into English via Latin and Old French from Greek) with the Modern English suffix '-ation' to denote an action or process, producing 'apostrophation'.
Initially the Greek root 'apostrophē' referred to a 'turning away', but over time the related terms came to denote a punctuation mark and, by extension, the actions of using that mark or of addressing the absent—meanings now reflected in 'apostrophation'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or practice of using the apostrophe (the punctuation mark ’) in writing; the application or placement of apostrophes.
The editor criticized the apostrophation in the article and recommended standardizing possessive forms.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the rhetorical device 'apostrophe'—an address to an absent person, an abstract idea, or an object; the act of directly addressing someone or something that is not present.
The poet's apostrophation of Death gave the stanza a dramatic, intimate tone.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/22 10:46