Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Rhetorical appeals are persuasive strategies used by speakers or writers to influence an audience's thoughts or actions. They include ethos (appeal based on credibility), pathos (appeal based on emotions), and logos (appeal based on logic).
Related terms
Ethical Appeal: Ethical appeal focuses specifically on building trust and credibility with the audience through demonstrating moral character.
Emotional Appeal: Emotional appeal aims at evoking strong emotions in order to sway the audience's opinions or actions.
Logical Appeal: Logical appeal relies on presenting well-reasoned arguments supported by evidence and facts.