apophasis

Meaning

1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) An allusion to something by denying that it will be mentioned.
2. (countable, uncountable) A process of arriving at knowledge by statements of denial; particularly, developing a concept of God through negative assertions about his nature.

Opposite of

cataphasis, via affirmativa

Translations

paralipsis

prétérition

apófase

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈpɒf.ə.sɪs/

Etymology

Cognate with Latin: fārī

In summary

Via Late Latin apophasis from Ancient Greek ἀπόφασις (apóphasis, “denial, negation”) from ἀπο- (apo-, “away, from, off”) + φάσις (phásis, “statement, proposition”) from φημί (phēmí, “to speak”) from Proto-Hellenic *pʰā́mā from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂; whence Latin fārī, cognate to fame, fable.