ethos
ethos Lexical Profile
ethos Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The characteristic spirit, moral values, or guiding beliefs of a person, community, institution, or cultural era.
"A strong commitment to environmental sustainability is central to the company's ethos."
In classical rhetoric, a mode of persuasion that appeals to the speaker's or writer's authority, credibility, and moral character.
"By citing her twenty years of clinical experience, the physician established strong ethos with the audience before presenting her argument."
Word Nuance & Usage
In classical rhetoric, "ethos" (appeal to credibility and character) is contrasted with "pathos" (appeal to emotion) and "logos" (appeal to logic and reason).
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-19th century directly from Ancient Greek ēthos, meaning "accustomed place," "custom," or "moral character," which is also the root of the word "ethics."
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.