paralipsis

P3A1R1A1L1I1P3S1I1S1
UK, US/ˌpæ.ɹəˈlɪp.sɪs/

noun

A figure of speech in which one pretends to ignore or omit something by actually mentioning it.

Similar
apophasispreteritionparalepsisparaleipsis
OriginAncient Greek παράλειψις →
First used 16th c.Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounparalipsis (countable and uncountable, plural paraleipses)

plural paraleipses · alternative paralepsis · alternative paraleipsis

  1. countablerhetoricuncountablehuman sciencesA figure of speech in which one pretends to ignore or omit something by actually mentioning it.First known use 16th c.

    What's left to consider? I am loath to bring up Trump's paralipsis.

    2016 November 2, Slate
    2 more examples

    These negatives are a paraleipsis: what cannot be done to the soul can be done to the body.

    1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae

    Oxenberg tells us twice that she does not talk about the sister who died. She fools no one with this paralipsis […].

    2008, Alisa Lebow, First Person Jewish, page 60

    Synonyms: apophasis, preterition

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA figure of speech in which one pretends to ignore or omit something by actually mentioning it.

Similar
apophasispreterition

More synonyms by meaning

nounsuggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted

Similar
paralepsisparaleipsispreterition
Broader
rhetorical device
Also see
apophasisparasiopesispreterition

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπαράλειψις“omission”
  2. Englishparalipsis

From Ancient Greek παράλειψις (paráleipsis, “omission”), from παραλείπω (paraleípō, “I pass over”), from παρά (pará, “by, near”) + λείπω (leípō, “I leave”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish paralipsis
  • paralipsisfigure of speech — see also apophasis
French paralipse
  • paralipsefigure of speech — see also apophasis
German Paralipse
  • Paralipsefigure of speech — see also apophasis
Irish parathagra
  • parathagrafigure of speech — see also apophasis
Italian paralissi, preterizione
  • paralissifigure of speech — see also apophasis
  • preterizionefigure of speech — see also apophasis
Polish paralipsa
  • paralipsafigure of speech — see also apophasis
Spanish paralipsis
  • paralipsisfigure of speech — see also apophasis
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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