elenctic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɨˈlɛŋktɪk/ (UK)
- /əˈlɛŋk.tɪk/ (US)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐλενκτικός (elenktikós, “refutative”).
Meanings
-
Serving to refute, refutative, especially as part of a systematic interrogation; pertaining to rhetorical elenchus or cross-examination.
‘What lady?’ he asked in the elenctic tones of Lewis Carroll's caterpillar.
1941, Vladimir Nabokov, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Penguin 1971 edition, page 101:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more elenctic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| elenctical | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most elenctic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| elenchtical | alternative | lexicographic | |
| elenchtic | alternative | lexicographic |