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.