Terms : Hide Images
| 5847667526 | STANCE | A speaker's attitude toward the audience (differing from tone, the speaker's attitude toward the subject). | 0 | |
| 5847667531 | RHETORIC | From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively. | 1 | |
| 5847667537 | EXIGENCE | Real life situation that indicates a need to act in response to controversy; often what motivates the author to write. | 2 | |
| 5847667538 | KAIROS | The rhetorical art of seizing the occasion. It covers both timing and the appropriate medium. | 3 | |
| 5847667539 | LOGOS | A Greek term that means "word;" an appeal to logic; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals. | 4 | |
| 5847667540 | ETHOS | A Greek term referring to/appealing to the character of a person; one of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals. | 5 | |
| 5847667545 | SYNTAX | The way words are arranged to form phrases, clauses and sentences. | 6 | |
| 5847667547 | FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE | Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling. | 7 | |
| 5847667553 | SYLLOGISM | A form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them. | 8 | |
| 5847667556 | concession | A reluctant acknowledgment or yielding. | 9 | |
| 5847667557 | connotation | All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests | 10 | |
| 5847667563 | pathos | Greek for "suffering." Emotional plays for hope, value, fear, or prejudice. | 11 | |
| 5847667565 | polemic | Greek for "hostile." An aggressive argument that ignores all other opinions. | 12 | |
| 5847667568 | refutation | a denial of the validity of an opposing argument | 13 | |
| 5847667570 | rhetorical appeals | Rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling. The three major appeals are to ethos (character), logos (reason), and pathos (emotion). | 14 | |
| 5847667575 | sanguine | ruddy; cheerfully optimistic | 15 | |
| 5847667576 | deferential | respectful and polite in a submissive way | 16 | |
| 5847667578 | bemused | confused; bewildered | 17 | |
| 5847667579 | fervent | (adj.) very earnest, emotional, passionate; extremely hot | 18 | |
| 5847667580 | infallible | free from error; absolutely dependable | 19 | |
| 5847667585 | imprudent | lacking wise self-restraint | 20 | |
| 5847667591 | rapt | Deeply engrossed or absorbed | 21 | |
| 5847667592 | didactic | Excessively instructive | 22 | |
| 5847667593 | laudatory | Containing or expressing praise | 23 | |
| 5847667594 | derisive | Expressing contempt or ridicule, mocking | 24 | |
| 5847667595 | placid | Calm, peaceful | 25 | |
| 5847667596 | effusive | Emotionally unrestrained; gushy; demonstrative | 26 | |
| 5847667597 | epistrophe | repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect (as Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people") Compare to anaphora. | 27 | |
| 5847667602 | polysyndeton | Deliberate use of many conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted. Hemingway and the Bible both use extensively. Ex. "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy" | 28 | |
| 5847667605 | colloquialism | A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y'all, ain't) | 29 | |
| 5847667606 | adage | A proverb, wise saying | 30 | |
| 5847667607 | Ad Populum | Appealing to the prejudices of the audience and inviting them on the bandwagon | 31 | |
| 5847667608 | Appeal to False Authority | a claim that uses as evidence the testimony of someone who is not an expert on the topic | 32 | |
| 5847667610 | Backing | In Toulmin Arguments, offering background information or evidence to support a warrant. | 33 | |
| 5847667611 | Begging the Question | A fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt. | 34 | |
| 5847667612 | Circular Reasoning | A fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence. | 35 | |
| 5847667613 | The Classical Oration | Five-part argument structure used by classical rhetoricians. The five parts are: introduction, narration, confirmation, refutation, and conclusion. | 36 | |
| 5847667614 | Narration | the second section of an oration- the facts are set forth | 37 | |
| 5847667615 | Confirmation | Third section of an oration- major part of text which includes proof to make the case. | 38 | |
| 5847667617 | Deduction | A form of reasoning that begins with a generalization, then applies the generalization to a specific case or cases. | 39 | |
| 5847667619 | Induction | A method of reasoning by which a rhetor collects a number of instances and forms a generalization that is meant to apply to all instances. | 40 | |
| 5847667620 | Qualifier | In the Toulmin model; uses words like usually, probably, maybe, in most cases, and most likely to temper the claim a bit, making it less absolute. | 41 | |
| 5847667621 | Quantitative Evidence | Info that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers (surveys, census information, polls, statistics, etc.) | 42 | |
| 5847667622 | Rebuttal | Part of the Toulmin Model- gives voice to objections, providing the conditions that might refute. | 43 | |
| 5847667623 | Reservation | In the Toulmin model- explains the terms and conditions necessitated by the qualifier. | 44 | |
| 5847667625 | Warrant | Part of the Toulmin Model- expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience. | 45 | |
| 5847667626 | Grounds | In Toulmin Argument-This is the evidence that functions as the foundation and support for the claim. | 46 | |
| 5847667628 | Rogerian Argument | Argument based on negotiation, compromise and cooperation; essential understanding of opposing views is important to refute them. | 47 | |
| 5847667630 | Claim of Fact | Asserts that something is true or not true | 48 | |
| 5847667631 | Claim of Value | A claim maintaining that something is good or bad, beneficial or detrimental, or another evaluative criterion | 49 | |
| 5847667632 | Claim of Policy | An argument that validates or calls for a change of an existing condition. | 50 | |
| 5847667633 | Closed Thesis | A statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make | 51 | |
| 5847667634 | Open Thesis | A statement of main idea that does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay. | 52 | |
| 5847667637 | Counterargument Thesis | A mix of closed and open thesis in which a summary of a counterargument usually qualified by although or but precedes the writer's opinion | 53 | |
| 5847667638 | Logical Fallacies | An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid. | 54 | |
| 5847667639 | Red Herring | A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion | 55 | |
| 5847667640 | Ad hominem Fallacy | (Latin for "to the man") a fallacy of logic in which a person's character or motive is attacked instead of that person's argument | 56 | |
| 5847667641 | Faulty Analogy | Relying only on comparisons to prove a point rather than arguing deductively and inductively. | 57 | |
| 5847667642 | Straw Man Fallacy | a writer creates an oversimplified, easy-to-refute argument, places it in the mouth of his opponent, and then tries to "win" the debate by knocking down that empty or trivial argument. | 58 | |
| 5847667643 | False Dilemma | A limited number of options is given, while in reality there are other options | 59 | |
| 5847667644 | Hasty Generalization | A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence. | 60 | |
| 5847667645 | Circular Reasoning | An assertion that restates the point just made. Such an assertion "begs the question" by drawing as a conclusion a point stated in the premise. | 61 | |
| 5847667646 | alliteration | Repetition of initial consonant sounds | 62 | |
| 5847667647 | allusion | A reference to another work of literature, person, or event | 63 | |
| 5847667653 | cumulative sentence | A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases (main clause is at the beginning) | 64 | |
| 5847667654 | hortative sentence | sentence that exhorts, advises, calls to action | 65 | |
| 5847667655 | imperative sentence | A sentence that requests or commands | 66 | |
| 5847667656 | inversion | the reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase. | 67 | |
| 5847667661 | periodic sentence | A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. The independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. The effect is to add emphasis and structural variety. | 68 | |
| 5847667665 | zeugma | Artfully using a single verb to refer to two different objects in an ungrammatical but striking way, or artfully using an adjective to refer to two separate nouns, even though the adjective would logically only be appropriate for one of the two. | 69 | |
| 5847667671 | Analogy | A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way Ex: Just as a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon, so we must come out of our comfort zone. | 70 | |
| 5847667672 | Anaphora | The same word or phrase is repeated in (and usually at the beginning of) successive lines, clauses, or sentences. Ex: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." | 71 | |
| 5847667673 | Anecdote | a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. Ex: "In Emerson's later years his memory began increasingly to fail..." | 72 | |
| 5847667676 | Antimetabole | Repeating words in reverse order for surprise and emphasis Ex: And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" (JFK). | 73 | |
| 5847667689 | Extended Metaphor | A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. | 74 | |
| 5847667690 | Hyperbole | An extreme exaggeration Ex: She talked on the phone forever | 75 | |
| 5847667692 | Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality | 76 | |
| 5847667693 | Juxtaposition | Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts | 77 | |
| 5847667699 | Oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Ex: "alone together", "bitter sweet" | 78 | |
| 5847667700 | Paradox | A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. Ex: "Nobody goes to that restaurant, it's too crowded." | 79 | |
| 5847667706 | Rhetorical Question | A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected. Ex: "Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?" | 80 | |
| 5847667708 | Satire | A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. It doesn't simply abuse (as in invective) or get personal (as in sarcasm). It targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals. | 81 | |
| 5847667710 | Synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is substituted for the whole. Ex: ABCS for alphabet, England won the World Cup | 82 | |
| 5847667712 | Zeugma | A general term describing when one part of speech (most often the main verb, but sometimes a noun) governs two or more other parts of a sentence (often in a series). Ex: "You held your breath and the door for me." | 83 | |
| 5847667733 | wry | satiric; bitter | 84 | |
| 5847667735 | indignant | marked by anger; aroused by justice | 85 | |
| 5847667737 | vexed | annoyed; irritated; distressed | 86 | |
| 5847667740 | jocund | cheery, joyful, and happy | 87 | |
| 5847667741 | whimsical | playful; humorous or fanciful; unpredictable | 88 | |
| 5847667745 | belligerent | aggressively hostile; warlike | 89 | |
| 5847667747 | apprehensive | uneasy about the future | 90 | |
| 5847667749 | fatalistic | in the belief that everything is predetermined and out of our hands | 91 | |
| 5847667754 | picturesque | strikingly expressive or vivid | 92 | |
| 5847667760 | cogent | convincing; reasonable | 93 | |
| 5847667763 | erudite | learned; scholarly | 94 | |
| 5847667765 | urbane | sophisticated | 95 | |
| 5847667778 | insolent | rude; not showing proper respect; arrogant | 96 | |
| 5847667784 | strident | loud, harsh, and unpleasantly noisy | 97 | |
| 5847667785 | aloof | indifferent, disinterested | 98 | |
| 5847667792 | ambiguous | doubtful, uncertain from obscurity or indistinctiveness | 99 | |
| 5847667793 | incredulous | unbelieving | 100 | |
| 5847667798 | pedantic | concerned with unimportant details | 101 | |
| 5847667799 | austere | stern; strict; frugal | 102 | |
| 5847667807 | lucid | easily understood; clear | 103 | |
| 5847667826 | zealous | highly motivated; fervent | 104 | |
| 5847667829 | Debauch | Corrupt | 105 | |
| 5847667836 | Stoic | No emotion | 106 | |
| 5847667839 | Melee | Disorganized combat | 107 | |
| 5847667843 | Poignant | Sharp or Sad & Painful | 108 | |
| 5847667851 | Facetious | Witty, playfully mocking | 109 | |
| 5847667856 | Respite | Relief | 110 | |
| 5847667861 | Trepidation | Alarm, anxiety at what is to come | 111 | |
| 5847667867 | sublime | Awe inspiring nobility | 112 | |
| 5847667875 | Despondent | Hopeless | 113 | |
| 5847667879 | Ominous | Sinister, threatening | 114 | |
| 5847667883 | Mused | Thought about | 115 | |
| 5847667885 | Impetus | Driving force | 116 | |
| 5847667887 | Ardor | Enthusiasm | 117 | |
| 5847667888 | Stealthy | Secretive | 118 | |
| 5847667890 | Edifice | a large, usually impressive building. | 119 | |
| 5847667902 | Infamy | evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal, shocking, or brutal. | 120 | |
| 5847667908 | Countenances | looks; expressions. | 121 | |
| 5847667909 | Abate | put an end to. | 122 | |
| 5847667914 | Amenable | willing to yield or submit: agreeable. | 123 | |
| 5847667919 | Plebeian | one of the common people. | 124 | |
| 5847667920 | Commiseration | to feel or express sympathy: condole. | 125 | |
| 5847667922 | Efficacy | effective as a means of remedy. | 126 | |
| 5847667923 | Imbued | inspired as with feelings, opinions, etc. | 127 | |
| 5847667925 | Caprice | a sudden, impulsive change: whim. | 128 | |
| 5847667928 | Eminence | position of prominence or superiority. | 129 | |
| 5847667929 | Intrinsic | originating or situated within the body or part acted on. | 130 | |
| 5847667935 | Expatiating | enlarging in discourse or writing. | 131 | |
| 5847667936 | Antiquated | obsolete. | 132 | |
| 5847667937 | Benevolence | desiring to do good to others. | 133 | |
| 5847667938 | Pious | of or pertaining to religious devotion. | 134 | |
| 5847667939 | Emaciated | very thin, as to lack of nutrition or to disease. | 135 | |
| 5847667940 | Vehemence | forceful or violent. | 136 | |
| 5847667944 | Sanctity | Godliness or sacredness. | 137 | |
| 5847667945 | Solace | alleviation of grief or anxiety. | 138 | |
| 5847667950 | Assented | to agree to something. | 139 | |
| 5847667954 | Latent | present and capable of becoming though not now visible or active: dormant. | 140 | |
| 5847667958 | Veneration | respect because of great age or associated dignity. | 141 | |
| 5847667960 | Defunct | dead or inactive. | 142 | |
| 5847667962 | Malevolence | arising from intense or vicious ill will, spite, or hatred. | 143 | |
| 5847667964 | Semblance | outward and often specious appearance or show. | 144 | |
| 5847667966 | Acquiesce | to accept or comply tacitly or passively. | 145 | |
| 5847667970 | Usurp | to seize and hold (a position, power, etc.) by force or without legal right. | 146 | |
| 5847667982 | Loquacity | exceedingly talkative. | 147 | |
| 5847667990 | Subjugated | to bring under dominion: conquer. | 148 | |
| 5849159971 | parallelism | The repetition of similar grammatical or syntactical patterns. | 149 |
