Definition of: prolepsis

(prō·lep′sis) noun plural ·ses (-sēz)
1. Anticipation.
2. A rhetorical figure consisting in the anticipation, and answering or nullifying beforehand, of objections or opposing arguments.
3. The use of an adjective or a noun as an objective predicate in anticipation of the result of the verbal action: to shoot a person dead.
4. An error by which a date earlier than the true date is assigned to an event. [<L <Gk. prolēpsis anticipation <prolambanein take beforehand <pro- before + lambanein seize, take]
—pro·lep′tic (-tik) or ·ti·cal adjective