paralepsis

/ˌpærəˈlɛpsɪs/

Definitions

1. noun

In rhetoric, a figure of speech in which a speaker or writer admits a point against their argument in order to make it stronger by addressing and refuting it.

“The lawyer’s argument was weakened by her opponent’s use of paralepsis, which made her appear to be addressing a counterargument that wasn’t even a concern.”

Synonyms

  • anticipatory argument
  • prebuttal

Antonyms

  • equivocation
  • non sequitur