40 Rhetorical Terms Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering all 40 rhetorical terms defined in the lecture transcript.

ad hominem argument

An argument that attacks the integrity or character of an opponent rather than the merits of an issue. Latin for 'to the man' and informally known as 'mudslinging.'

ad populum argument

A fallacious argument that appeals to the passions and prejudices of a group rather than its reason. Latin for 'to the people' and informally known as 'bandwagon.'

allusion

A reference to some famous literary work, historical figure, or event.

analogy

A comparison that attempts to explain one idea or thing by likening it to another.

anaphora

The repetition of a group of words at the beginning of successive clauses.

anecdote

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

argument

A line of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion.

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 – backed up by support – of an argument.

colloquialism

A word or expression acceptable in informal usage but not in formal discourse.

concession

An acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable, usually accompanied by a refutation challenging its validity.

connotation

The implication of emotional overtones of a word rather than its literal meaning.

counterargument

An opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward.

denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word.

diction

The choice of words a writer uses, determined by the audience and occasion of their writing.

enthymeme

Shared assumption; an argument in which a premise or the conclusion is not explicitly stated.

ethos

Greek for 'character'; appeals made by speakers to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic.

evidence

The logical bases or supports for an assertion or idea, consisting of statistics, facts, anecdotes, and testimonial support.

exigence

An urgent need or demand; what happens, or fails to happen, that compels one to speak.

generalization

A statement that asserts some broad truth based upon a knowledge of specific cases, as the end product of inductive reasoning.

hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

kairos

The combination of the 'right' moment to speak and the 'right' way to speak.

logical fallacy

Errors in reasoning used by speakers or writers, often based on insufficient evidence or faulty logic, sometimes used to mislead an audience.

logos

Greek for 'embodied thought'; appeals to reason through clear, rational ideas backed up by specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony.

pathos

Greek for 'suffering' or 'experience'; appeals used to emotionally motivate an audience by playing on their values, desires, hopes, fears, or prejudices.

parallelism

The principle of coherent writing requiring that coordinating elements be given the same grammatical form.

point of view

The perspective from which a piece of writing is developed.

qualified argument

An argument that is not absolute, acknowledging the merits of an opposing view while developing a stronger case for its own position.

rebuttal

A voice to possible objections.

red herring

A side issue introduced into an argument in order to distract from the main argument.

refutation

A denial of the validity of an opposing argument.

rhetorical question

A question posed with no expectation of receiving an answer, often used in public speaking to launch or further discussion.

slanting

The characteristic of selecting facts, words, or emphasis to achieve a preconceived intent.

style

The way an author writes; the expression of an author's individuality through the use of words, sentence patterns, and selection of detail.

syntax

The order of words in a sentence and their relationships to each other.

synthesis

Combining two or more ideas in order to create something more complex in support of a new idea.

tone

The reflection of the writer's attitude toward the subject and audience in every writing.

transition

Words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that indicate connections between ideas and provide landmarks to guide the reader.

understatement

A way of deliberately representing something as less than it is in order to stress its magnitude; also called litotes.

voice

The presence or the sound of self chosen by the author, aimed at sounding natural and closely related to style.