paralipsis
/ˌpɛrəˈlɪpsɪs/
noun
- A rhetorical device in which a speaker or writer pretends to pass over a topic while actually drawing attention to it.
- In her speech, she employed paralipsis by saying, 'I won't talk about his generosity, but...'
- The politician used paralipsis to bring up the scandal while claiming he wouldn't discuss it.
- I won't even mention his past mistakes, but paralipsis makes it clear I'm thinking about them.
Synonyms