Rhetorical Terms

AP Lang

Audience

Who it's for (listener, reader, viewer)

Claim

Main argument or position (must be arguable)

Concession

Acknowledging the opposing side has a point

Connotation

The emotional feeling/vibe of a word

Context

The background circumstances and situation

Ethos

Appeal to credibility, trust, and character

Logos

Appeal to logic, reason, and facts

Occasion

The specific time and place of the text

Pathos

Appeal to emotion and feelings

Persona

The "mask" or image a speaker projects

Exigence

The spark/urgency that forced the speaker to act

Purpose

The speaker's goal or desired outcome

Refutation

Disproving or shutting down the opposing side

Rhetoric

The art of effective persuasion

Speaker

Who creates and delivers the message

Subject

The topic (what the text is about)

Thesis

Main statement outlining the main points

Text

Any cultural product that can be analyzed/read

Alliteration

Repetition of the same starting sound

Allusion

Brief reference to a famous person, place, or work

Ambiguity

Unclear or uncertain language

Analogy

Comparison between two dissimilar things

Anaphora

Repetition of words at the start of phrases

Anecdote

A brief story used to prove a point

Antecedent

The original word that a pronoun replaces

Antithesis

Opposing ideas set side-by-side in parallel construction

Archaic diction

Old-fashioned or outdated word choices

Coherence

Logical and consistent flow of language

Colloquial

Informal, everyday, non-academic speech

Denotation

The literal dictionary definition of a word

Euphemism

A mild phrase replacing a harsh one

Figurative language

Non-literal language (similes, metaphors, imagery)

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis

Irony

When what is said/happens is opposite of expected

Juxtaposition

Placing two things together to show contrast

Metaphor

Direct comparison between two things (no like/as)

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate real sounds (buzz, boom)

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words side-by-side (jumbo shrimp)

Paradox

A contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth

Parallel structure

Repeating the same grammatical structure in a sentence

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human objects

Point of view

The perspective story is told from (1st, 2nd, 3rd person)

Rhetorical modes

Methods of writing (narration, description, argument, exposition)

Sarcasm

Irony used to mock or evoke emotion

Symbol

An object/person representing a deeper idea

Syntax

The arrangement and structure of words in a sentence

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject

Understatement

Presenting something as way less important than it is