addisonian termination
Preserved but no longer current.
The name given by Bishop Kurd to the construction which closes a sentence with a preposition, such as — "which the prophet took a distinct view of." Named from Joseph Addison, who frequently employed it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “addisonian termination” mean?
The name given by Bishop Kurd to the construction which closes a sentence with a preposition, such as — "which the prophet took a distinct view of." Named from Joseph Addison, who frequently employed it.
Is “addisonian termination” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.