Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- 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.”
- 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.
noun
- rhetoric the device of mentioning a subject by stating that it will not be mentionedI shall not discuss his cowardice or his treachery
“involving a mention of something one feigns to deny; involving knowledge obtained by negation,” 1850, from Greek apophatikos, from apophasis “denial, answer,” from apophanai “to speak off,” from apo- “off” (see apo-) + phanai “to speak,” related to pheme “voice” (see fame (n.)).