word
Literary
prolepsis
proh-LEP-sis
proʊˈlɛpsɪsListen
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Syllable breakdown
prolepsis
Sounds like
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Dictionary meaning
A rhetorical device anticipating and answering objections; or a flashforward in narrative.
History and origin
Greek — 'prolambano' (to anticipate).
Examples
- The opening chapter's prolepsis revealed that the narrator would not survive — creating dramatic irony throughout.
Common mispronunciations
PROH-lep-sisproh-LAP-sis
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