Meaning & use
logos
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
In persuasion, the use of facts, logic and sound reasoning to convince an audience.
Grammar: Usually appears without an article and is paired with ethos and pathos: the speech relies on logos.
Patterns
- appeal to logos
- rely on logos
The lawyer's closing argument leaned on logos, with timelines and figures.
A strong essay balances logos with a believable tone and emotional appeal.
Charts and statistics are classic examples of logos.
nounsingularreligionformal
In Greek philosophy and Christian theology, the rational principle that orders the universe, or the Word of God.
Grammar: Often capitalized (Logos) in religious writing and treated as a single concept.
Patterns
- the Logos
Early Greek thinkers described the logos as the reason behind nature.
In Christian writing, the Logos is identified with Christ.
The seminar compared two ideas of the logos.
Common combinations
- appeal to logos
- The ad makes an appeal to logos by listing test results.
- ethos, pathos and logos
- Students identify ethos, pathos and logos in famous speeches.
- rely on logos
- Scientists rely on logos when writing papers.
- logos and pathos
- She mixed logos and pathos in her speech.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reason
- Reason is the everyday word, while logos names this specific kind of rhetorical appeal.
- logic
- Logic is the system of valid thinking, whereas logos is a persuasion strategy that uses it.
- rational appeal
- Rational appeal is a plain description of the same idea but lacks the classical label.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: logos or logo? logos or ethos?
logos vs logo
A logo is the symbol of a company, and it is often pronounced differently; logos is the Greek-based rhetorical term, although the plural of logo is spelled logos too.
logos vs ethos
Ethos is the appeal to the speaker's credibility, while logos is the appeal to reasoning.
Practice
A speaker backs her argument with data, statistics and clear steps of reasoning. Which appeal is mainly used?
Choose one answer.
Logos is the appeal to logic and evidence. Ethos is about credibility, and pathos is about emotion; kairos concerns timing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “logos”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.