epitherapeia means A sentence added at the end of a statement to heal, soften, mitigate, or modify what has been said, so that modesty or other feeling might not be offended. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 95 out of 100.
Why “epitherapeia” is a great word
EPITHERAPEIA — [Noun] A sentence appended to a primary utterance to heal, soften, or mitigate its impact, thereby preserving modesty or preventing unintended offense. From Ancient Greek ἐπιθεραπεία (epitherapeía, "additional remedy"), from ἐπί (epí, "upon") + θεραπεία (therapeía, "medical attendance, healing"). Unlike a "qualification," which neutrally restricts a claim, or a "retraction," which wholly withdraws one, an epitherapeia is a therapeutic amendment, a verbal balm applied after the fact. It is the murmured "not that you asked" after offering unsolicited advice, the appended "or so it seems to me" following a bold assertion, or the gentle "but it's only a draft" offered with a piece of one's heart—a small, civilizing act of emotional first aid for the raw edges of speech.
noun
- A sentence added at the end of a statement to heal, soften, mitigate, or modify what has been said, so that modesty or other feeling might not be offended.