Logos - AP® English Definition

Logos is an Aristotelian appeal that means persuading an audience using logic, reasoning, and evidence. In AP English, students learn that logos is used to make arguments clear, well-structured, and convincing through facts, statistics, examples, and logical explanations.

Writers use logos to appeal to the audience’s sense of reason. It is often used alongside ethos and pathos to create a strong, balanced argument. Analysing logos helps students evaluate the strength of an argument in rhetorical and persuasive texts.

Example of logos in an AP English text

In 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' by Martin Luther King Jr., King uses logos when he lists specific examples of unjust laws and explains why civil disobedience is morally right.

By using logical reasoning and real-world examples, he builds a solid argument that appeals to his readers’ sense of justice and reason.