| Term | Definition |
| archaic diction | the use of words common to an earlier time period; antiquated language |
| Aristotelian triangle | a diagram that represents a rhetorical situation as the relationship among the speaker, the subject, and the audience |
| anaphora | the repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses |
| antithesis | parallel structure that juxtaposes contrasting ideas |
| assertion | an emphatic statement; declaration. one supported by evidence becomes an argument |
| assumption | a belief or statement taken for granted without proof |
| aphorism | a short, astute statement of a general truth |
| asyndeton | leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses |
| antecedent | the noun to which a latter pronoun refers |
| antimetabole | the repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast |
| metonymy | use of an aspect of something to represent the whole |
| synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part stands for a whole |
| audience | one's listener or readership; those to whom a speech or piece of writing is addressed |
| attitude | the speaker's position on a subject as revealed through his/her tone |
| appositve | a word/phrase that renames a nearby noun/pronoun |
| hyperbole | exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis |
| argument | a statement put forth supported by evidence |
| analogy | an extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things |
| allusion | an indirect reference, often to another text or a historical event |
| alliteration | the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of consecutive words or syllables |
| anecdote | a short accound of an interesting event |
| annotation | explanatory or critical notes added to a text |
| authority | a reliable, respected source. someone with knowledge |