apophatic

a·poph·a·sis

A a

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [uh-pof-uh-sis]
- /əˈpɒf ə sɪs/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [uh-pof-uh-sis]
- /əˈpɒf ə sɪs/

Definitions of apophatic word

adjective apophatic of or relating to the belief that God can only be described by a process of negation 3
noun apophatic Rhetoric. denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated, as “I shall not mention Caesar's avarice, nor his cunning, nor his morality.”. 1
noun apophatic Theology. knowledge, understanding, or description of God through negative statements about qualities and characteristics that God does not possess, as "God is not confined by space or time.". See also negative theology. 1
noun apophatic (of knowledge of God) obtained through negation. 1
adjective apophatic (theology) Pertaining to knowledge of God obtained through negation rather than positive assertions. 0

See all 5 definitions of apophatic

Information block about the term

Origin of apophatic

First appearance:

before 1650

One of the 45% oldest English words

1650-60; < Late Latin < Greek: a denial, equivalent to apópha(nai) to say no, deny (apo- apo- + phánai to say) + -sis -sis

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Apophatic

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Apophatic

apophatic popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 53% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 53% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

apophatic usage trend in Literature

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