Glossary of Rhetorical Terms

A comprehensive collection of key rhetorical terms, their definitions, and explanations.

absolutes

Words such as 'always,' 'never,' 'all,' and 'none.'

allusion

A reference in a written or spoken text to another text or to some particular body of knowledge.

analogy

Comparison between two things in order to clarify their relationship.

anecdote

A brief narrative offered in a text to capture the audience’s attention or to support a generalization or claim.

anticipated objection

The technique a writer or speaker uses in an argumentative text to address and answer objections, even though the audience has not had the opportunity to voice these objections.

appeal

One of three strategies for persuading audiences—logos (appeal to reason), pathos (appeal to emotion), ethos (appeal to ethics).

appeal to authority

In a text, the reference to words, action, or beliefs of a person in authority as means of supporting a claim.

argument

A carefully constructed, well-supported representation of how a writer sees an issue, problem, or subject.

asyndeton

Stylistic device in which conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases, or clauses to achieve an artistic effect.

audience

The person or persons who listen to a spoken text or read a written one and are capable of responding to it.

begging the question

The situation that results when a writer or speaker constructs an argument on an assumption that the audience does not accept.

claim

The ultimate conclusion, generalization, or point that a syllogism or enthymeme expresses.

concession

The act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument.

conclusion (of syllogism)

The ultimate point or generalization that a syllogism expresses.

connotation

The implied meaning of a word, in contrast to its directly expressed dictionary meaning.

context

The convergence of time, place, audience, and motivating factors in which a piece of writing or a speech is situated.

data (as evidence)

Facts, statistics, and examples that a speaker or writer offers in support of a claim.

deduction / deductive reasoning

Reasoning that begins with a general principle and concludes with a specific instance that demonstrates the principle.

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word, in contrast to its connotation.

diction

Word choice, which is viewed on scales of formality/informality and concreteness/abstraction.

effect

The emotional or psychological impact a text has on a reader or listener.

enthymeme

Logical reasoning with one premise left unstated.

ethos

The appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator.

evidence

The facts, statistics, anecdotes, and examples that a speaker or writer offers in support of a claim.

example

An illustration or incident offered in support of a generalization, claim, or point.

extended analogy

An extended passage arguing that if two things are similar in one or two ways, they are probably similar in other ways.

fallacy

An attractive but unreliable piece of reasoning.

generalization

A point that a speaker or writer generates based on considering a number of particular examples.

genre

A piece of writing classified by type, such as letter, narrative, eulogy, or editorial.

hyperbole

An exaggeration or overstatement for effect.

induction / inductive reasoning

Reasoning that begins by citing specific instances or examples and then shows how they constitute a general principle.

inductive leap

The leap from 'most' or 'some' to 'all,' reaching a generalization.

inference

A conclusion that a reader or listener reaches by means of their own thinking.

intention

The goal a writer or speaker hopes to achieve with the text.

irony

Writing or speaking that implies the contrary of what is actually written or spoken.

jargon

The specialized vocabulary of a particular group.

logic

The art of reasoning.

logos

The appeal of a text based on the logical structure of its argument.

mood

The feeling that a text is intended to produce in the audience.

occasion

The part of context also referred to as time and place.

paradox

A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true.

pathos

The appeal of a text to the emotions or interests of the audience.

persona

The character that a writer or speaker conveys to the audience.

persuasion

The changing of people’s minds or actions by language.

polysyndeton

Stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions are used in succession.

premise, major

The first premise in a syllogism, stating an irrefutable generalization.

premise, minor

The second premise in a syllogism, offering a particular instance of the generalization.

pun

A play on words.

purpose

The goal a writer or speaker hopes to achieve with the text.

qualifiers

Words such as 'probably,' 'presumably,' and 'generally.'

refutation

The part of a speech in which the speaker anticipates objections and counters them.

rhetoric

The art of analyzing all the choices involving language that a writer or speaker might make.

rhetorical choices

The particular choices a writer or speaker makes to achieve meaning or effect.

rhetorical mode

Formal patterns for organizing a text.

rhetorical question

A question posed not to seek an answer but to affirm or deny a point.

rhetorical situation

The convergence in a situation of exigency, audience, and purpose.

rhetorical triangle

A diagram showing the relations of writer/speaker, reader/listener, and text.

sarcasm

The use of mockery or bitter irony.

slang

Informal language, often considered inappropriate for formal occasions.

speaker

The person delivering a speech or the character assumed to be speaking a poem.

stance

A writer’s or speaker’s apparent attitude toward the audience.

style

The choices that writers or speakers make in language for effect.

support

The material offered to back up a generalization, conclusion, or claim.

syllogism

Logical reasoning from inarguable premises.

syntax

The order of words in a sentence.

tautology

A group of words that merely repeats the meaning already conveyed.

tests for generalization

Criteria to ensure sufficient investigation of instances for valid generalization.

thesis

The main idea in a text, often the main generalization or conclusion.

thesis statement

A single sentence that states a text’s thesis, usually near the beginning.

tone

The writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter.

understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, making something less significant than it is.

verisimilitude

The quality of a text that reflects the truth of actual experience.

voice

The textual features that convey a writer’s or speaker’s persona.

warrant

The general statement that establishes a trustworthy relationship between data and claim.