This document defines and provides examples of key rhetorical terms including rhetorical situation, rhetor, audience, exigence, purpose, constraints, affordances, kairos, ethos, pathos, logos, enthymeme, identification, visual rhetoric, arrangement, aesthetics, and contingent issues. It also provides an overview of rhetoric, outlining its 6 main characteristics as planned, adapted to audience, reveals human motives, responsive, seeks persuasion through various appeals, and arrangement and aesthetics. Finally, it lists some social functions of rhetoric such as testing ideas, assisting advocacy, distributing power, discovering facts, shaping knowledge, and building community.

1. RHETORICAL
TERMS
U W E C B L U G O L D S E M I N A R

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Terms
• Rhetorical Situation
• Rhetor
• Audience
• Exigence
• Purpose
• Constraints
• Affordances
• Kairos
• Ethos
• Pathos
• Logos
• Enthymeme
• Identification
• Visual Rhetoric
• Arrangement
• Aesthetics
• Contingent issues
Overview of Rhetoric
• 6 Characteristics of
Rhetoric
• Social Functions

3. “RHETORICAL
SITUATION”

4. “RHETORICAL SITUATION”
Definition: The context of a rhetorical act
(minimally made up of a rhetor + issue +
audience); this context can be both broad
(historical, cultural, political, social) or narrow
(such as specific circumstances pertaining to a
particular issue).
Example: Stephen Colbert talks about Donald
Trump running for president on The Late Show
Stephen Colbert.
Questions to ask: What are the 3 characteristics
for my situation? Can I identify the rhetor, issue,
and audience?

5. “RHETOR”

6. “RHETOR”
Definition: Anyone who composes discourse that is
intended to affect an audience’s or broader
community’s thinking or actions.
Example: The police officer talks to the driver on why
she is receiving the ticket for an out headlight.
Questions to ask: Who is making an argument or
persuading something? What forms/modes is the
argument using?

7. “AUDIENCE”

8. “AUDIENCE”
Definition: Any people-real or imagined,
contemporary, or historical- designated by the
rhetor as hearers or readers of his/her text.
Example: J.K. Rowling created Pottermore.com
for lovers of all things Harry Potter.
Questions to ask: To what audiences is this
artifact adapted? How is it adapted to these
people?

9. “EXIGENCE”

10. “EXIGENCE”
Definition: The event or occurrence that prompts rhetorical
discourse; the exigence is that which begins the “cycle” of
rhetorical discourse about a particular issue.
Example: A hurricane is en route to the Gulf Coast, which
will cause flooding. In preparation, the Coast Guard issues
warnings to those who have boats near the coast.
Questions to ask: What made this discourse happen? What
is it responding to? What kind of response is it inviting
back?

11. “PURPOSE”

12. “PURPOSE”
Definition: The intended outcome(s) of the rhetorical
discourse identified (implicitly or explicitly) by the
rhetor.
Examples: In order to sell more ice cream, Ben &
Jerry make up interesting and comical names for
their ice cream.
Questions to ask: What does the rhetor want the
audience/reader to do/think/say/question? Is the
rhetor successful? Why or why not?

13. “CONSTRAINTS”

14. “CONSTRAINTS”
Definition: The limitations within which the rhetor must work;
these limitations can be related to the genre, medium,
register, audience, or the situation itself, among other things.
Example: The television show 60 Minutes only has…60
minutes… to tell the audience an interesting, noteworthy
story.
Questions to ask: What are the limitations the rhetor must
address or deal with? How do/would they do so? Are these
measures effective?

15. “AFFORDANCES”

16. “AFFORDANCES”
Definition: options or possibilities made available to the
rhetor by the situation, genre, medium, register, audience,
etc.
Example: Luhrmann’s 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet uses
a new medium to appeal to a new audience.
Questions to ask: Is the medium that the rhetor chose
aiding the argument? Or, is the medium detracting from
the purpose? How so?

17. “KAIROS”

18. “KAIROS”
Definition: Greek term for time as it pertains to a sense of
timing and timeliness (as opposed to chronological time).
Kairos refers to the ‘right’ time to make an argument (the
moment when it will be most relevant or potent).
Example: Malcolm X made several speeches during the
civil rights era to promote racial equality.
Questions to ask: Is the rhetor/creator trying to capitalize
on the situation? Is the artifact “timely” in any way?

19. “ETHOS”

20. “ETHOS”
Situated Ethos
Definition: “Proofs” or arguments
from one’s character that depend
on the rhetor’s
reputation/standing,/ status within
a relevant community or group.
Example: Wisconsinites have more
experience with handling large
amounts of snow than Floridians.
Questions to ask: Does the rhetor
call upon her past behaviors to
Invented Ethos
Definition: “Proofs” or arguments that
are “invented”- that is, intentionally
created or constructed- by the
rhetor.
Example: A job candidate makes
sure she is dressed professionally for
her interview.
Questions to ask: How is the rhetor
presenting themselves? Are they
appropriately dressed? Using the

21. “PATHOS”

22. “PATHOS”
Definition: Greek term for emotions or
passions; appeals to the audiences’ emotions
Example: The ASPCA uses a very sad song and
pictures of mistreated animals for donations.
Questions to ask: How is the rhetor appealing
to my emotions to convince me to their
purpose? What exact emotion(s) is the rhetor
appealing to?

23. “LOGOS”

24. “LOGOS”
Definition: Greek term for arguments or lines of reasoning that
draw upon, tap into, or attempt to shape an audience’s
explicit or unexamined beliefs, assumptions, and worldviews.
Reasoning or “logic” in rhetoric uses probabilities, common
tropes, and shared understandings. Appeals to logos can
function on global (“macro”) levels and on local (“micro”)
levels.
Example: Aaron Rodgers currently has the highest passing
rating of any quarterback in the NFL and the most
touchdowns this season. Thus, he is the best quarterback in the
NFL. (aka Aaron Rodgers is amazing + gods are amazing =
Aaron Rodgers is a god).
Questions to ask: Are the facts or reasoning the rhetor brings
to the situation convincing? Where did the rhetor gather the

25. “ENTHYMEME”

26. “ENTHYMEME”
Definition: A short-hand logical appeal; an appeal to
an unstated, shared belief, assumption or worldview.
The rhetor’s conclusions seem logical only because the
audience has already assented to the unstated,
shared belief.
Example: Well, if it’s a BMW, it has got to be a good
quality car! (Hidden premise: BMW is a prestigious
company therefore it is good).
Questions to ask: What missing “second step” is being
implied? Does the entire audience agree with the

27. “IDENTIFICATION”

28. “IDENTIFICATION”
Definition: Commonalities that the rhetor attempts to establish with
the audience based on shared beliefs, values, experiences, goals,
etc. Identification is the rhetorical term that describes rhetors’
attempts to bridge the gap between themselves and their
audiences. This “bridging” is crucial for the audience to assent to
the rhetor’s claims.
Example: When many people, who hadn’t had a lot in common
previously, heard that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were
naming their daughter “North West”, they suddenly found they
could discuss the decision at length.
Questions to ask: Does the rhetor/creator try to create some

29. “VISUAL
RHETORIC”

30. “VISUAL RHETORIC”
Definition: The way that images or other visual
media function as modes of persuasion or
explication.
Example: Appeals to humor make the viewer
intrigued enough to find out what the product
is.
Questions to ask: Does the rhetor use any visual
methods to further their goal? If so, to what
effect?

31. “ARRANGEMENT”

32. “ARRANGEMENT”
Definition: The order or structure of a text,
argument, or other multimedia register
Example: The arrangement of a movie set
(characters, backdrop, extras, lighting, etc.)
all influence the director’s vision of the story;
he makes what he wants the audience to
see.
Questions to ask: What are the choices, either
visually or logically, the rhetor makes in
regards to what we see/hear first? Why is the
order in this way and not another?

33. “AESTHETICS”

34. “AESTHETICS”
Definition: How the rhetor uses beautiful
arrangements, wording, or placement to promote
her argument.
Example: This poem by Lang Leave uses rhyme,
spacing, and repetition to give closure. Everything
works in harmony, using few words to say much.
Questions to ask: Why does this piece appeal to
me? Why do these arrangements or forms feel
“right”?

35. “CONTINGENT
ISSUES”

36. “CONTINGENT ISSUES”
Definition: There are many issues that have more than
one, or most likely 2, conceivable answers. Those “gray
areas” where people may disagree are called
contingent issues.
Example: Among many countries, oil has caused wars
and strife, political candidates use it as a rallying point,
and people concerned with the ecosystem don’t
want drilling in certain areas. But the fact remains:
many countries need oil.
Questions to ask: What are the pros and cons of a

37. OVERVIEW OF
RHETORIC

38. THE 6
CHARACTERISTICS
OF RHETORIC

39. RHETORIC IS….
• Planned
• Adapted to an audience
– Attention
• Reveals Human Motives
• Responsive
– Seeks Persuasion
– Argument
– Appeals (emotion)
– Arrangement
– Aesthetics
• Addresses contingent issues

40. SOCIAL
FUNCTIONS OF
RHETORIC

41. SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF RHETORIC
• Tests ideas
• Assists advocacy
• Distributes power
• Discovers facts
• Shapes knowledge
• Builds community