Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A pretended or suggested omission for rhetorical effect, usually introduced by “I say nothing of,” “not to mention,” or the like.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See paraleipsis.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun rhetoric, linguistics Alternative spelling of paraleipsis.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun suggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Since it would belabor the obvious to mention that he was a convert to Islam, we'll use paralipsis instead.

    Two Murders, Two Statements 2009

  • A less charitable observer, or one less inclined to paralipsis, might characterize Obama's book royalties as more of a "get-rich-quick scheme" than a "quality product."

    A Loan in the Crowd 2009

  • In a tidy bit of paralipsis, I'm not going to mention

    MSDN Blogs 2009

  • In a tidy bit of paralipsis, I'm not going to mention

    MSDN Blogs 2009

  • Thanks Anon. Yeah, maybe I did miss the 'satire "but it is pretty hard to get some of this humor when you have so much paralipsis lately from Kerrey and WJClinton ... and not to mention the outright slander.

    Obama Hits Hillary In New Hampshire Mailer 2009

  • The term is 'backhanded COMPLIMENT "... there is no such thing as a backhanded insult ... an insult is an insult ... but you can phrase an insult as a compliment or engage in paralipsis also known as' damning with faint praise '

    Bob Kerrey Apologizes To Obama 2009

  • Not the first time you’ve demonstrated your affection for paralipsis.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Sotomayor vs. the Second Amendment, Part II: 2009

Comments

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  • “Not to mention…”

    I think I learnt this as paralepsis, which is a fair variation, but -lipsis is the Latin and commonest English form.

    December 18, 2007