Chiasmus is a rhetorical device and figure of speech in which the second part of a construction reverses the order of words or concepts in the first part (A-B becomes B-A). It operates through structural symmetry to create emphasis, paradox, or memorable phrasing. The persistence mechanism is literary and rhetorical teaching, oral tradition, and written texts that reproduce the inverted pattern. It is distinguished from parallelism (same order, A-B → A-B) and antimetabole (reversal of exact words rather than concepts) by its focus on conceptual rather than lexical reversal. [formal: chiasmus | substrate: mind | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
chiasmus
Chiasmus is a rhetorical device and figure of speech in which the second part of a construction reverses the order of words or concepts in the first part (A-B becomes B-A). It operates through structural symmetry to create emphasis, parado…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A figure of speech and rhetorical device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order. Human-made linguistic structure, deliberately crafted for emphasis, memorability, and persuasive effect.
Names and aliases
- chiasmusen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrtfjde400049zhnv4xb5z4fINSTANCE_OF →
Chiasmus IS a specific kind of figure of speech — a rhetorical structure where elements are repeated in reverse order (ABBA pattern). A competent speaker would call chiasmus a figure of speech. Nearest kind: figure-of-speech.
- cmrmuk5tl01n1d1nllgxavhaeSERVES →
Chiasmus is built and maintained for the sake of persuasion — its ABBA rhetorical structure is designed to emphasize, contrast, and persuade by structural reversal. For whose sake? The rhetorical device serves the persuasive act (Law 8d).
- cmrmf7wqp001sd1nlgdko4rbiSERVES →
Chiasmus (reversal of word order in successive clauses, AB→BA) is a rhetorical figure built and maintained for the sake of rhetorical effect — its designed purpose is to further rhetoric by creating memorable, balanced patterns. For whose sake? The servant (chiasmus) points at the master (rhetoric).
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Record identity
- Created
- Jul 20, 2026, 9:06 PM UTC
- Content hash
- eab4fd3feb9b5840820ecd2d9dc081129207d6d4e613551e4516e035e3284afc