noun
ethos
Persuasion based on a speaker's or writer's character and credibility.
The doctor builds ethos by describing her years of clinical experience.
Etymology
The Greek word means character. In rhetoric, a speaker’s perceived character becomes a source of persuasion, encouraging an audience to trust what is being said.
More examples
- The writer strengthens her ethos by admitting what she does not know.
- The advertisement relies on the athlete's ethos rather than evidence about the product.
- His exaggerated claims weaken the ethos of his speech.
Forms
ethos
Similar words
- ethical appeal
- Another rhetorical term emphasizing the speaker's perceived character and trustworthiness.
- credibility
- Names perceived trustworthiness rather than the persuasive appeal using it.