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protasis

noun
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prot·​a·​sis | \ ˈprä-tə-səs How to pronounce protasis (audio) \
plural protases\ ˈprä-​tə-​ˌsēz How to pronounce protases (audio) \

Definition of protasis

1 : the introductory part of a play or narrative poem
2 : the subordinate clause of a conditional sentence — compare apodosis

Other Words from protasis

protatic \ prä-​ˈta-​tik How to pronounce protatic (audio) , prō-​ \ adjective

First Known Use of protasis

circa 1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for protasis

Late Latin, from Greek, premise of a syllogism, conditional clause, from proteinein to stretch out before, put forward, from pro- + teinein to stretch — more at thin

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The first known use of protasis was circa 1568

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Cite this Entry

“Protasis.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protasis. Accessed 10 December 2019.

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