proleptically
|pro-lep-tic-al-ly|
/prəˈlɛptɪk/
(proleptic)
taking beforehand; anticipatory
Etymology
'proleptic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'prolepsis' (πρόληψις), where the prefix 'pro-' meant 'before' and the root related to 'lambanein' meant 'to take' or 'to seize'.
'proleptic' changed from the Greek noun 'prolepsis' into Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'prolepsis' and then into English via French (e.g. 'prolepte', 'proleptique'), eventually becoming the modern English adjective 'proleptic' and the adverb 'proleptically'.
Initially, it meant 'a taking or grasping beforehand' (an anticipation); over time it evolved into the adjectival/adverbial sense 'anticipatory' or 'prefigurative', used to describe something presented as if already true or occurring.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in an anticipatory or prefigurative manner; by anticipating something or representing it as already existing or occurring.
The novelist proleptically reveals the protagonist's fate, so readers sense the outcome before the action reaches it.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/24 21:02