procatalepsis

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin procatalepsis (anticipating and answering an objection), from Ancient Greek προκατάληψις (prokatálēpsis, seizing in advance).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˌpɹəʊkætəˈlɛpsɪs/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

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Examples (rhetoric)

It is difficult to see how a pilot boat could be completely immune to capsizing or plunging, but pilot boat design criteria must meet the needs of the industry and pilotage authorities.

procatalepsis

  1. (rhetoric) A rhetorical exercise in which the speaker raises an objection to his own argument and then immediately answers it, in an attempt to strengthen the argument by dealing with possible counter-arguments.
  2. (rhetoric) Rebuttal of anticipated objections.
    Synonyms: prebuttal, preemption, prolepsis
    • 2022, China Miéville, chapter 3, in A Spectre, Haunting: On the Communist Manifesto, →OCLC:
      This long sequence skilfully deploys the rhetorical tropes of procatalepsis and concessio, pre-emption and concession: that is, they concede the accuracy of certain classic attacks on communism, but in ways that redound on their opponents.
  3. (grammar) Left dislocation.
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See also

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Further reading

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