analepsis.

A narrative move that recounts an event earlier than the current point in the main story sequence.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• narrative analepsis
• an analeptic passage

On the page

Analepsis revealed the promise that made her later refusal intelligible.

The analeptic passage returned to the room before its windows were sealed.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Singular analepsis; plural analepses. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.