Relating to or characterized by apostrophe, a figure of speech where a speaker addresses someone absent or something non-human as if present.
From apostrophe (the rhetorical device) plus the adjective suffix -al. Apostrophe itself comes from Greek apostrophe (apo- + strophein, to turn away), describing the speaker's turning away from the audience.
When Shakespeare has Juliet say 'O Romeo, Romeo!'—that's apostrophal speech, and it's incredibly effective because it creates this intimate moment where we watch her pour out emotion directly to someone not even there!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.