Definition

Noun: A rhetorical device where the speaker or writer brings up a subject by explicitly stating that they will not mention or discuss it. This is used to draw attention to the very thing being denied.

Usage

This term is used in formal writing, rhetoric, and analysis to describe a specific technique of argument or emphasis. It is a way to introduce an idea while pretending to avoid it.

Examples

• The politician said, This is a clear example of apophasis.
• In the essay, the author employs apophasis by writing,

Advanced Usage

• As a rhetorical strategy: Apophasis is often used in political speeches, debates, and persuasive writing to insinuate a negative point without taking direct responsibility for stating it.
• In literary analysis: Critics may note an author's use of apophasis to create irony or to highlight a subject through its conspicuous absence.

Variants and Related Words

• Paralipsis (n): A synonym for apophasis, meaning the same rhetorical device.
• Praeteritio (n): Another synonym, often used in classical rhetoric.

Synonyms

• Paralipsis
• Praeteritio
• Mention by omission

Idioms or Fixed Phrases

While not an idiom itself, apophasis is the formal term describing the technique behind common phrases like: * "Not to mention..." * "It goes without saying..." * "I need not remind you that..."

Noun

1. mentioning something by saying it will not be mentioned