anaphora.

1. The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginnings of successive clauses, lines, or units.

2. A relation in which an expression relies on earlier linguistic material for its interpretation.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• rhetorical anaphora
• anaphora in a speech

On the page

Rhetorical anaphora made each new refusal sound more final.

She used anaphora to join the scattered grievances into one sustained appeal.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Usually uncountable; plural anaphoras for distinct patterns. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.