prolepsis: Meaning and Definition of

pro•lep•sis

Pronunciation: (prō-lep'sis), [key]
— pl. -ses
  1. the anticipation of possible objections in order to answer them in advance.
  2. the assigning of a person, event, etc., to a period earlier than the actual one; the representation of something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred; prochronism.
  3. the use of a descriptive word in anticipation of its becoming applicable.
  4. a fundamental conception or assumption in Epicureanism or Stoicism arising spontaneously in the mind without conscious reflection; thought provoked by sense perception.
  5. the return of an attack of a periodic disease or of a paroxysm before the expected time or at progressively shorter intervals.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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