Describing a way of knowing or describing God by saying what God is NOT rather than what God IS, often used in theology and philosophy.
From Greek apophasis (negation) plus -tic suffix. Developed in medieval Christian and Islamic theology as a method of approaching divine understanding through negation rather than positive description.
Apophatic theology is like trying to describe a color by saying 'it's not red, not blue, not yellow'—by eliminating what something isn't, you narrow toward what it might be. Theologians have used this approach for over 1,500 years to discuss the indescribable nature of God.
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