paraenesis

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/pəˈɹiːnɪsɪs/

noun

Advice or exhortation, particularly of a moral or religious nature.

OriginAncient Greek παραίνεσις →
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Meanings

nounparaenesis (usually uncountable, plural paraeneses)

plural paraeneses · alternative parænesis · alternative parainesis · alternative parenesis

  1. uncountableusuallyAdvice or exhortation, particularly of a moral or religious nature.
  2. rhetoricuncountableusuallyA warning of impending evil.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπαραίνεσις“exhortation, advice”
  2. Englishparaenesis

From Ancient Greek παραίνεσις (paraínesis, “exhortation, advice”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

paraenesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraenesis

MLA

“paraenesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraenesis. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paraenesis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paraenesis.

Source: paraenesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.