paralipsis
Noun: A rhetorical device where a speaker or writer emphasizes a point by pretending to omit it or pass over it, thereby drawing more attention to it. It involves mentioning something while stating that one will not mention it.
Paralipsis is used to introduce or highlight a sensitive, controversial, or important subject indirectly. By claiming not to discuss a topic, the speaker actually ensures it is brought to the audience's mind, often more forcefully than a direct statement.
- The politician said, (Here, the speaker uses paralipsis to introduce the very subject they claim to avoid.)
- In her speech, she employed paralipsis: (This draws attention to the losses while framing the speaker as moving forward.)
- (This is a classic example of paralipsis, criticizing the latecomers under the guise of not doing so.)
Paralipsis is a sophisticated persuasive tool common in political discourse, legal arguments, and literature. Its effectiveness relies on the audience recognizing the device and understanding the implied message. It can be used to make an accusation appear as a mere observation or to insinuate something without taking direct responsibility for stating it.
- Paraleipsis (noun): An alternative spelling of paralipsis.
- Praeteritio (noun): A synonym for paralipsis, more commonly used in classical rhetoric.
- Occupatio (noun): Another rhetorical term closely related to paralipsis, involving the anticipation and rebuttal of an opponent's argument.
- Praeteritio
- Omission (in the rhetorical sense)
- Apophasis
While not an idiom itself, paralipsis is the formal term for the common tactic embedded in phrases like: * "Not to mention...": Often used to introduce the very thing claimed to be omitted. * "I need not remind you that...": Used to remind the audience of something while pretending it's unnecessary. * "It goes without saying...": Typically precedes a statement the speaker very much wants to say.
- suggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted