Apophasis

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈpɒf.ə.sɪs/

Definitions

1. The rhetorical technique of bringing up a subject by stating that it will not be discussed
2. A figure of speech used to introduce a topic while pretending to ignore or avoid it
3. The method of referring to information indirectly by asserting that it will be omitted from mention

Etymology: Apophasis is a rhetorical trick that works by saying you will not talk about something while doing exactly that. A speaker who declares "I won't mention his bankruptcy" has already mentioned it. The Greek word behind it is built from "apo-", meaning "away" or "from," and "phasis," a statement, which together describe a denial or negation. The Greek root "phasis" comes from "phēmi," "to speak," which is also the source of the Latin verb "fārī," meaning "to speak." English words such as "fame" and "fable" share this ancient ancestry, so a word about speech and reputation sits alongside the idea of a story told. The term reached English through Late Latin "apophasis," which carried the Greek sense of denial into the language. Its use in English is largely confined to rhetoric and literary criticism, where it names a device that lets a speaker draw attention to a subject while appearing to pass over it.