RHETORICAL TERMS

Ad hominem

Attacking the person, not the argument.

Ad populum (bandwagon appeal)

Everyone's doing it, so it must be good.

Alliteration

Repeating consonant sounds.

Allusion

Reference to something well-known.

Analogy

Comparing two different things.

Anaphora

Repeating words at the start of sentences.

Concession

Admitting the other side has a point.

Counterargument

An argument against your claim.

Anecdote

A short story to explain an idea.

Closed thesis

Main idea + supporting points.

Connotation

Emotional meaning of a word.

Ethos

Building trust and credibility.

Pathos

Appealing to emotions.

Logos

Using logic and facts.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect.

Understatement

Downplaying something for effect.

Juxtaposition

Placing things side by side to compare.

Purpose

The goal of the message.

Polysyndeton

Using lots of conjunctions.

Refutation

Proving the other side wrong.

Persona

The speaker's voice or character.

Bias

Prejudice affecting fairness.

Syllogism

A logical argument with two premises leading to a conclusion.

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions.

Archaic diction

Old-fashioned words.

Deduction

Reasoning from general to specific.

Equivocation

Using unclear language to mislead.

Polemic

A strong attack on something.

Qualitative evidence

Non-numerical, descriptive evidence.

Quantitative evidence

Numbers and data.

Enthymeme

An argument with an implied premise.

Trope

Creative use of words, like metaphors.

Syntax

Sentence structure.

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole.

Propaganda

Spreading ideas to influence, often misleading.

Satire

Using humor to criticize.

Rhetorical question

A question not meant to be answered.

Post hoc

Assuming something caused another because it happened first.

Paradox

A contradictory statement with truth.

Rhetoric

Persuading through writing or speech.

Antithesis

Using opposite ideas or words together to make a point.

Chiasmus

Flipping the order of words or ideas for effect.

Colloquial diction

Everyday, casual language or slang.

Jargon

Special words used in a specific job or subject.

Vernacular

The common language spoken by people in a region.

Denotation

The basic, dictionary meaning of a word.

Epizeuxis

Repeating a word quickly for emphasis (e.g., "Hot! Hot! Hot!").

Euphemism

A polite way of saying something harsh or unpleasant.

Litotes

Saying something positive by denying the opposite (e.g., "not bad" means "good").

Oxymoron

Two opposite words put together (e.g., "jumbo shrimp").

Syllepsis

Using one word in two different ways in a sentence (e.g., "He lost his coat and his temper").