paromologia means A concession to an adversary in order to strengthen one's own argument. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “paromologia” is a great word
PAROMOLOGIA — [Noun] A rhetorical stratagem in which one concedes a minor point to create an air of reasonableness, thereby establishing tactical credibility for a more significant counterargument. Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παρομολογία (paromología, “partial admission”), from παρα- (para-, “beside, alongside”) + ὁμολογία (homología, “agreement, confession”). Unlike a simple “concession”—a general yielding that may weaken a position—or “apophasis”—a sneaky denial that introduces a subject—paromologia is a feigned retreat that gathers force for the advance. It is the chess player sacrificing a pawn to open a file, the debater nodding “you are right on that detail” before pivoting to eviscerate the premise, or the diplomat acknowledging a minor flaw to appear trustworthy before revealing an overwhelming virtue. This is the quiet art of ceding territory not from weakness, but as a prelude to an unassailable claim.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παρομολογία (paromología, “partial admission”), from παρα- (para-) + ὁμολογία (homología).
noun
- A concession to an adversary in order to strengthen one's own argument.“Refusing to admit the grain of truth in their opponents' arguments is how they squandered their own political power; a smart amount of paromologia might have preserved it.”