aporia.

1. A state of puzzlement or an apparent impasse in reasoning that leaves a question unresolved.

2. An expression of real or feigned doubt used as a rhetorical device.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a philosophical aporia
• confront an aporia

On the page

The dialogue ended in aporia rather than a triumphant conclusion.

She found an aporia where the argument depended on two incompatible assumptions.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Singular aporia; plural aporias or aporiai. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.