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Prolepsis

pro-lep'-sis Gk. "A preconception"
Also known as prolepsie, anticipation, propounder

A synonym for procatalepsis.
Speaking of something future as though already done or existing. A figure of anticipation.

Examples

Oh, I am a dead man!

Obviously, the speaker refers less to the actuality of the moment as he does to the near future.

The following scriptural verse refers to Christ's ultimate victory as though it had already occurred.

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. —Hebrews 2:8

Acknowledgement

The above information on individual rhetorical techniques is reproduced from the website “Silva Rhetoricae” (www.rhetoric.byu.edu ) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Credit for this content lies with Professor Gideon O Burton of Brigham Young University.