2 AP Lang & Comp Rhetorical Vocab Dr. Stamp

Allusion

Reference that recalls other work, another time in history, or another famous person.

Apostrophe

Prayer-like, this is a direct address to someone who is not present, to a deity or muse, or some other power.

Connotation

The associations or moods that accompany a word. Words are generally negative, positive, or neutral.

Deductive

A form of logical argumentation that uses claims or premises.

Denotation

This is the opposite of connotation and is quite literally the dictionary meaning of a word.

Diction

The particular words an author uses in any essay.

Ethos

An appeal to credibility.

Hyperbole

An exaggeration, fairly common in nonfiction prose arguments, that bolsters an argument.

Inductive

A form of logical argumentation that requires the use of examples.

Infinitive

The word “to” plus a verb, usually functioning as a noun and often as a predicate in a sentence.

Irony

A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.

Juxtaposition

Making one idea more dramatic by placing it next to its opposite.

Logos

An appeal to reason.

Pathos

An appeal to emotion.

Personification

Giving human attributes to non-human things.

Repetition

A form of rhetorical stress that calls the reader’s attention to a particular word, phrase, or image for emphasis of meaning.

Rhetorical Question

A question whose answer is assumed, designed to force the reader to respond in a predetermined manner.

Rhetorical Shift

Occurs when the author of an essay significantly alters his or her diction, syntax, or both.

Simple Sentence

An independent clause.

Understatement

Creates exaggeration by showing restraint, opposite of hyperbole.

Exigence

The event or occurance that prompts rhetorical discourse.