Rhetorical Terms and Concepts Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key rhetorical terms and concepts from the lecture list.

Allusion

An indirect or passing reference to a person, place, event, literary work, or art piece.

Ambiguity

An expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context, or having more than one possible interpretation.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things to explain or clarify a complex idea.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person used to illustrate a point.

Antithesis

A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence for contrasting effect.

Appeals

Rhetorical strategies, such as ethos, logos, and pathos, used to persuade an audience.

Audience

The intended listeners, viewers, or readers of a text, speech, or performance.

Bias

An inclination or prejudice for or against one person, group, or idea, often considered unfair.

Challenge

To question, dispute, or argumentatively oppose a statement, claim, or idea.

Choices

The specific rhetorical and stylistic decisions made by a writer or speaker to achieve their purpose.

Colloquialism

The use of informal, casual, or conversational words or phrases in speech or writing.

Commentary

Explanations or analysis that connect evidence to the thesis statement or main argument.

Concrete Detail

Specific, tangible facts, evidence, or descriptions used to support an argument.

Concession

An acknowledgment that an opposing argument or point is valid or true.

Connotation

The implied, emotional, or cultural association attached to a word beyond its literal definition.

Context

The circumstances, environment, time, and background surrounding a text or event.

Counterargument

An opposing argument or perspective that challenges a writer's main claim or position.

Defend

To support, justify, or maintain a claim or position in response to critique.

Denotation

The direct, literal dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

A writer's or speaker's specific and purposeful choice of words.

Ethos

A rhetorical appeal to credibility, character, ethics, or authority.

Evidence

Facts, statistics, examples, or testimony used to support a claim or argument.

Exigence

The specific problem, issue, or urgency that prompts a speaker or writer to create a text.

Fallacy

A failure or flaw in reasoning that renders an argument invalid or weak.

Figurative Language

Language that uses figures of speech, such as metaphors and similes, and is not meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole

An intentional and obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.

Imagery

Descriptive sensory language that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.