chiasmus

American  

[kahy-az-muhs] / kaɪˈæz məs /

noun

Rhetoric.

plural

chiasmi

1. a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases, as in “He went to the country, to the town went she.”

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chiasmus British  

/ kaɪˈæzməs, kaɪˈæstɪk /

noun

1. rhetoric reversal of the order of words in the second of two parallel phrases

   he came in triumph and in defeat departs

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Other Word Forms

• chiastic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of chiasmus

1870–75; < Greek chiasmós, equivalent to chi chi ¹ + -asmos masculine noun suffix, akin to -asma; see chiasma

Explanation

Chiasmus is a rhetorical technique that involves a reversal of terms, such as “It’s good to be lucky, but it’s lucky to be good.” Chiasmus is a literary device using repetition to create compelling statements, including many famous quotations, such as John F. Kennedy’s famous call to action: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." The roots of this word come from the Greek letter chi, which is roughly a cross shape, and chiasmus does involve a crossing over of terms, as in the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.“