Ethos is the distinguishing character, sentiment, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution. In rhetoric it also names an appeal to the speaker’s credibility, studied alongside pathos and logos.
What does ethos mean?
In general use, ethos refers to the values, spirit, or character that set a person, organization, or community apart. Merriam-Webster defines it as the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution. A company’s ethos, for example, is the set of principles that shape how it behaves.
Where does the word come from?
Ethos comes directly from the Greek ethos, meaning custom or character. Aristotle used it to describe a person’s character, especially the balance between passion and restraint. The English word keeps that focus on character and shared values, whether applied to an individual or a whole culture.
What is ethos in rhetoric?
In the study of persuasion, ethos is one of three classical appeals. It rests on the credibility and character of the speaker, the sense that an audience can trust the person making the argument. It works alongside pathos, which appeals to emotion, and logos, which appeals to logic and evidence.
How do ethos, pathos, and logos compare?
The three appeals target different parts of an audience’s response, as summarized below.
| Appeal | Basis |
|---|---|
| Ethos | Credibility and character |
| Pathos | Emotion |
| Logos | Logic and evidence |
How is ethos used in a sentence?
You might write that volunteering is central to the school’s ethos, meaning its guiding values, or that the lawyer built ethos by citing years of experience, meaning credibility. Both uses trace back to the same idea of character and the trust it earns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ethos mean?
It is the distinguishing character, values, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution.
What is ethos in rhetoric?
It is a persuasive appeal based on the speaker's credibility and character, studied with pathos and logos.
Where does the word ethos come from?
From the Greek ethos, meaning custom or character.
How do ethos, pathos, and logos differ?
Ethos appeals to credibility, pathos to emotion, and logos to logic and reason.