Rhetorical Terms Test

Ad Hominem

A logical fallacy that refers to the diversionary tactic of switching the argument to the character of the other speaker.

Ad Populum

A fallacy that occurs when someone does something because everyone else does it; also known as bandwagon.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds usually in a given line.

Allusion

A brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art.

Analogy

A comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things, often using something simple to explain something complex.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or lines.

Concession

An acknowledgment that the opposing argument may be true or reasonable.

Counterargument

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

Anecdote

A brief story used to illustrate a point or claim.

Closed Thesis

A statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make.

Connotation

Meanings or associations readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition.

Ethos

Greek for character; speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy.

Pathos

Greek for suffering or experience; speakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience.

Logos

Greek for embodied thought; speakers appeal to logos by offering clear, rational ideas and specific details.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect.

Understatement

A figure of speech in which something is presented as less important than it actually is, often for satirical effect.

Juxtaposition

The placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.

Purpose

The goal the speaker wants to achieve.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between phrases and words.

Refutation

A denial of the validity of an opposing argument.

Persona

Greek for mask; the character that a speaker shows to their audience.

Bias

A prejudice or preconceived notion that prevents neutral or objective approach to a topic.

Syllogism

A logical structure that uses the major premise to reach a necessary conclusion.

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions between phrases and words.

Archaic Diction

Outdated choice of words.

Deduction

A logical process where a conclusion is reached by starting with a general principle.

Equivocation

A fallacy that uses a term with multiple meanings to misrepresent or deceive.

Polemic

An aggressive argument that tries to establish superiority of one opinion over another.

Qualitative Evidence

Evidence supported by reason, tradition, or precedence.

Quantitative Evidence

Evidence that can be measured, cited, counted, or represented in numbers.

Enthymeme

A syllogism with one of the premises implied and taken for granted.

Trope

Artful diction; any figure of speech such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole.

Syntax

The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Synecdoche

A type of metaphor where a part is used to represent the whole.

Propaganda

The spread of ideas and information to further a cause, often using disinformation.

Satire

Use of irony or sarcasm to critique society or an individual.

Rhetorical Question

A figure of speech in question form posed for rhetorical effect.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

A fallacy that assumes correlation proves causation without clear evidence.

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory but reveals an ironic truth.

Rhetoric

The art of finding ways of persuading an audience.

Antithesis

Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel construction.

Chiasmus

A figure of speech where one phrase is inverted in the next phrase.

Colloquial Diction

Slang; informal language connected to time and place.

Jargon

language associated with a specific field of study.

Vernacular

Language or vocabulary from a particular region.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word.

Epizeuxis

The repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis.

Euphemism

A kinder way of expressing something either offensive or fragile/unpleasant.

Litotes

a form of verbal irony in which understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to affirm a positive.

Oxymoron

A paradox made up of two seemingly contradictory words.

Syllepsis

a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two other words in different sentences.