also prosopopoeia, 1560s, from Latin prosopopoeia, from Greek prosopopoiia "the putting of speeches into the mouths of others," from prosopon "person, face" (literally "that which is toward the eyes," from pros "to" + ops "eye, face;" see eye, n.) + poiein "make" (see poet). Generally, a rhetorical figure in which an imaginary or absent person is made to speak or act.