Logos
noun /ˈlɒɡ.ɒs/ — The appeal to reason, logic, and evidence
Definition
In rhetoric, the appeal to reason, logic, and evidence — the argument that persuades through facts, data, and the coherence of reasoning itself.
Beyond the definition
The persuasion that respects the audience's intelligence. Logos treats the listener as a thinking being who can be convinced, not just moved.
Origin & history
From Greek 'logos' (word, reason, argument) — one of the most fundamental words in Greek philosophy, also used for 'the Word' in the Gospel of John.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her case rested entirely on logos — the evidence was so strong that emotion was unnecessary.
Logos alone is rarely sufficient: you must also trust the speaker and feel the stakes.
A logical fallacy is logos that fails — it looks like reason but the structure is broken.
Synonyms
logic, reason, evidence, rational argument, proof
Antonyms
emotion, irrationality, fallacy
Related words
Logos vs logic
Logic is the system of rational reasoning. Logos is a rhetorical tool used in persuasive speech to appeal specifically to the listener's sense of reason, distinct from emotional appeals.
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
Methodical Pursuit of Truth
An adult sits at a table arranging wooden pieces into a clear, ordered structure under even, bright, and focused studio lighting.
Logos is the appeal to logic and the coherence of reasoning. The subject's careful, step-by-step arrangement of complex, interlocking pieces into an ordered structure visualizes the methodical nature of 'logos'—where evidence, arrangement, and coherent reasoning are used to persuade or arrive at the truth through clear, logical structure.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration