adumbration

Adumbration is a noun that refers to a partial or faint indication of something, or to the outline or shadow of what is to come. The term comes from Latin adumbrare, meaning to shade or outline, from ad- “toward” and umbra “shadow.” Historically it denoted a faint shadow, an outline, or a preliminary sketch.

In general usage, adumbration denotes a broad, incomplete hint or prefiguration rather than a full portrayal. To adumbrate something is to provide a partial representation or a suggestion of future detail, often without offering complete or final form. The sense carries connotations of foreshadowing, outline, or indirect presentation.

In art, rhetoric, and literary criticism, adumbration describes a preliminary sketch or a subtle hint of themes, motifs, or outcomes. A passage may be said to adumbrate later developments, offering readers a foretaste without revealing everything explicitly.

In theology and philosophy, the term has been used to describe prefiguring or symbolic representations that point toward later or deeper truths. Adumbration can denote how earlier ideas, images, or revelations cast a shadow of what is ultimately more fully explained or understood.

Today, adumbration is relatively rare outside scholarly or historical contexts, but it remains a useful term for noting partial indications, foreshadowing, or outlines that anticipate fuller forms or conclusions. See also foreshadowing, outline, sketch.

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