noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A rhetorical device or element in which a speaker or writer retracts a word that has been spoken and substitutes a stronger or more suitable word; often done for emphasis or sarcasm. rhetoric

   "Epanorthosis oft a phrase corrects, And feeble words, for stronger terms, rejects."

2. 2
   immediate rephrasing for intensification or justification wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

correctiometanoia

Example

More examples

"Epanorthosis oft a phrase corrects, And feeble words, for stronger terms, rejects."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐπανόρθωσις (epanórthōsis, “correction”).

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