procatalepsis
|pro-ca-ta-lep-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌproʊkəˈtæləpsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌprəʊkəˈtæləpsɪs/
anticipating objections
Etymology
'procatalepsis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'prokatálēpsis', where 'pro-' meant 'before' and 'katálēpsis' meant 'a taking; grasping; apprehension'.
'prokatálēpsis' was used in ancient Greek rhetorical and philosophical texts; the term passed into Latin and later into English rhetorical vocabulary as 'procatalepsis' through scholarly and theological works.
Initially it meant 'a taking beforehand' or 'anticipation' in a general sense; over time it specialized in rhetoric to mean 'anticipating and answering objections.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rhetorical device in which a speaker or writer anticipates an objection or counterargument and responds to it in advance.
In his speech he used procatalepsis to address the audience's likely objections before they could be raised.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/07 23:56