Chiasmus
noun /kaɪˈæz.məs/ — A rhetorical figure where the second clause reverses the structure of the first
Definition
A figure of speech in which two clauses are related by the reversal of their grammatical structure — creating a mirror-like symmetry that gives the statement memorable completeness.
Beyond the definition
The structure that makes a sentence feel finished and inevitable. Chiasmus gives the impression that the thought has been turned over and found correct on both sides.
Origin & history
From Greek 'khiasmos' (a crossing, arrangement in the form of X) — from 'khi' (the letter X). The X-shaped crossing of structures is the defining visual metaphor.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
'Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.' The most famous chiasmus in American oratory.
'Fair is foul, and foul is fair.' Shakespeare understood that chiasmus performs paradox.
He used chiasmus instinctively — the reversed structure made everything he said feel concluded.
Synonyms
antimetabole, inverted parallelism, crossing
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Conceptual Seasonal Change Balance
A tree with bare twigs on one side and budding green leaves on the other stands under soft circles of sunlight and moonlight.
Chiasmus uses reversed grammatical structure to create mirror-like symmetry. This illustration of a tree showing two opposing seasonal states (bare versus budding) in one balanced, circular frame functions as a visual analogy for the symmetric, reflective structure of chiasmus, demonstrating how reversal creates a sense of memorable completeness.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration