“Paralipsis” is a term you’d learn in a rhetoric or public speaking course. It’s the practice of emphasizing an idea by specifically not mentioning it. Consider a history teacher giving a lesson on the suffrage movement, making sure to point out the most important principles, but not specifically referring to what might be on an upcoming test. Avoiding talking about a difficult topic, while everyone is aware of the elephant in the room, would also be an example of paralipsis. It comes from the Greek word “paraleipsis,” meaning “neglect, omission.”