anaphora

n. in linguistics, the use of a word (often a pronoun) to refer back to a word used earlier, usually to avoid repetition. In You take the high road, I’ll take the low one, the use of one to mean road is an example of anaphora. Ability to form and process such constructions has been a major preoccupation of generative grammar and psycholinguistics. See also antecedent. —anaphoric adj.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

sexual tension

a condition of anxiety and restlessness associated with the sex drive and a normal desire for release of sexual energy. Sexual tension may be complicated by fear of inadequate performance, fear of an unwanted pregnancy, fear of discovery, or other concerns.