Rhetorical Terms List

Rhetoric

the art of persuasion, in speaking or writing

Argument

a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong

Speaker

The person delivering the message or argument

Audience

The person/people to whom an appeal is made in an argument

Subject

The controversy, event, etc. about which an argument is being made

Context

The rhetorical art of seizing the occasion

Bias

An inclination of temperament or outlook

Appeals

Ways in which a rhetorician tailors an argument to his or her specific audience

Concession

To acknowledge the premise or evidence of an opposing viewpoint before refuting it

Rebuttal

To put forward one's opinion, evaluation or suggestion

Counterclaim

A claim made to rebut a previous claim

Logical fallacy

Arguments which have some inherent fault in logic

Deduction

Applying a general principle to a particular matter

Induction

Argument by example

Authors purpose

The reason an author writes about a specific target, creates a specific argument, and/or targets a specific audience

Claim

Fact/research/knowledge based ideas which are stated in support of an assertion or them

Assertion

Main idea or theme of an argument

Syntax

The way in which linguistic elements (such as words) are put together to form constituents (such as phrases or clauses

Diction

Word choice

Structure

The way in which information is organized within a piece or writing or argumentation

Tone

A quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words a speaker or writer uses

Repitition

Repetition is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer

Comparison

Pointing out the similarities between two things or ideas which often don't appear to be similar at first glance

Juxtaposition

Encourages the reader to see contrasts between ideas, claims, events, etc. to highlight certain characteristics of a subject or to challenge the typical perspective on a subject