Rhetorical Terms 1-20 Flashcards
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
ambiguity
the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness
anaphora
the use of a word referring to or replacing a word used earlier in a sentence, to avoid repitition ( ex: do in “I like it and so do they”)
anecdote
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
antithesis
a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else
aphorism
a pithy observation that contains a general truth (ex: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”)
archaic diction
old fashioned way of speaking
Aristotelian (rhetorical) Triangle
the relation between ethos, pathos, and logos
Asyndeton
the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence
atmosphere
the pervading tone or mood of a place situation or work of art
audience
the assembled readers of a work
chiasmus
concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form
colloquialism
a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation
concession
a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands; a thing conceded
connotation
an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning
counterargument
an argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument
cumulative sentence
an independent clause followed by a series of subordinate constructions (phrases or clauses) that gather details about a person, place, event, or idea
denotation
the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests
dialect
a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group
diction
the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing
