noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged in "proper order", particularly; A descending order from best, greatest, etc. to worst, lowest, etc. rhetoric, uncountable
2. 2
   A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged in "proper order", particularly; A chronological order from first to last. rhetoric, uncountable
3. 3
   A rhetorical device in which a series is arranged in "proper order", particularly; An ascending order from worst, lowest, etc. to best, greatest, etc; a climax. obsolete, rhetoric, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

anticlimaxanticlimaxarrangementchronologicalchronological orderclimax

Antonyms

All antonyms

auxesisclimax

Etymology

From the Latin form of the Ancient Greek κατακόσμησις (katakósmēsis, “arrangement”).

Related phrases

rhetorical device

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.