# apophatic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /apə(ʊ)ˈfatɪk/

## Definitions
1. Pertaining to knowledge of God obtained through negation rather than positive assertions.
2. That passively defines a thing by describing what is not characteristic of it.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀποφατικός (apophatikós, “negative”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/apophatic