protherapeia

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noun

A figure of speech used to secure indulgence or conciliate an audience before saying something potentially shocking, offensive, or difficult to accept.

“Acts 17:22: "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very religious..."”

OriginAncient Greek προθεραπεία →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nounprotherapeia (uncountable)
  1. rhetoricuncountableA figure of speech used to secure indulgence or conciliate an audience before saying something potentially shocking, offensive, or difficult to accept.

    Acts 17:22: "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very religious..."

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπροθεραπεία“previous care or treatment”
  2. Englishprotherapeia

From Ancient Greek προθεραπεία (protherapeía, “previous care or treatment”), from πρό (pró, “before”) + θεραπεία (therapeía, “service, medical attendance”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

protherapeia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protherapeia

MLA

“protherapeia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protherapeia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protherapeia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protherapeia.

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