| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Abstract Language | Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. |
| Ad hominem argument | Replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking a characteristic of the person making the claim. |
| Allegory | A work that functions on more than one level: both concrete and symbolic. |
| Allusion | An indirect reference, often to another text or historical event. |
| Ambiguity | Capable of being interpreted in more than one way. |
| Analogy | A device employed to serve as a basis for comparison between two different items. |
| Anaphora | The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses. |
| Anecdote | A story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point. |
| Annotation | Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give Bib. data. |
| Asyndeton | Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. |
| Antecedent | The noun to which a later pronoun refers. |
| Antithesis | The presentation of two contrasting images balanced by phrase, clause, or paragraph. |
| Aphorism | A short, astute statement of a general truth. |
| Apostrophe | The speaker or author breaking off and speaking to an imaginary person. |
| Argumentation | A statement put forth and supported by evidence. |
| Assonance | Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity. |
| Asyndeton | Commas used (no conjunction) to separate a series of words emphasizing parts equally. |
| Cacophony | Harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose |
| Colloquial/Colloquialism | An informal or conversational use of language. |
| Connotation | That which is implied by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning. |
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