Prolepsis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Prolepsis \Pro*lep"sis\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, from ? to take
     beforehand; ? before + ? to take.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Rhet.)
        (a) A figure by which objections are anticipated or
            prevented. --Abp. Bramhall.


        (b) A necessary truth or assumption; a first or assumed
            principle.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chron.) An error in chronology, consisting in an event
        being dated before the actual time.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Gram.) The application of an adjective to a noun in
        anticipation, or to denote the result, of the action of
        the verb; as, to strike one dumb.
        [1913 Webster] Proleptic

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  prolepsis
       n : anticipating and answering objections in advance
       [also: {prolepses} (pl)]