asyndeton

American  

[uh-sin-di-ton, -tuhn] / əˈsɪn dɪˌtɒn, -tən /

noun

1. Rhetoric. the omission of conjunctions, as in “He has provided people with jobs, with opportunity, with self-respect.”

2. Library Science. the omission of cross references, especially from a catalog.

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asyndeton British  

/ æˈsɪndɪtən /

noun

1. the omission of a conjunction between the parts of a sentence

2. an asyndetic construction Compare syndeton

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Other Word Forms

• asyndetic adjective
• asyndetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of asyndeton

First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin, from Greek, noun use of neuter of asýndetos “unlinked, loose” (equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + syndé(ein) “to tie together, bind” + -tos verbal adjective suffix)

Example Sentences

The asyndeton in this distich is odd, given the preceding series of connectives.

From The Last Poems of Ovid by Akrigg, Mark Bear

The use of tmesis, asyndeton, anacoluthon, aposiopesis, hyperbaton, hyperbole, litotes, in Latin oratory and poetry.

From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Cruttwell, Charles Thomas

But the asyndeton resulting from the suppression of these words was felt to be intolerable.

From The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels Being the Sequel to The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels by Miller, Edward

Professor J. N. Grant points out to me the asyndeton following quaere ... sintne.

From The Last Poems of Ovid by Akrigg, Mark Bear

Therefore the figure asyndeton, whereby conjunctions are omitted, is highly commended by writers of rhetoric.

From Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies by Plutarch