prosopopoeia

noun

pro·so·po·poe·ia prə-ˌsō-pə-ˈpē-ə

ˌprä-sə-pə-

1

: a figure of speech in which an imaginary or absent person is represented as speaking or acting

2

: personification

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin prosōpopoeia, borrowed from Greek prosōpopoiía, from prósōpon "face, mask, role, person" (from pros- "facing, opposite" + -ōp- "eye, sight," hence, "the eyes, or sight, opposite own's own") + -poiia "making," from poi-, base of poieîn "to make" + -ia -ia — more at pros-, eye entry 1, poet

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of prosopopoeia was in 1550

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Prosopopoeia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosopopoeia. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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