Epexegesis
eˌpeksəˈjēsis
NOUN
The addition of words to clarify meaning.
Words added for the purpose of clarifying meaning.
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EXAMPLE SENTENCES
“Sensing the audience’s confusion, Alan quickly tacked on an epexegesis to the end of his speech.”
“The publisher encouraged the author to explain the ending with an epexegesis in the afterword.”
“After stumbling over his words, Jamie needed to provide an epexegesis to explain to Shonda that he was trying to ask her to prom.”
WORD ORIGIN
Greek, late 16th century
WHY THIS WORD?
This complicated-looking word comes from the Greek word “epexēgēsis,” a combination of “epi” (“addition”) and “exēgēsis” (“explanation”) — an “additional explanation.” An epexegesis can take many forms, such as behind-the-scenes footage for films, postscripts on letters, and annotations in journal articles. Sometimes an epexegesis serves as a supplement to preexisting text. “The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language” was published in 1993, authored by Presbyterian scholar Eugene H. Peterson. This iteration of the Christian Bible provided an epexegesis in modern-day terms for readers who might otherwise be confused by older writing styles.
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