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Loaded language is rhetoric used to influence an audience by using words and phrases with strong . This type of language is very often made vague to more effectively Pathos and/or exploit stereotypes. (1996). 9780873226677, Human Kinetics. ISBN 9780873226677 Loaded words and phrases have significant emotional implications and involve strongly positive or negative reactions beyond their literal meaning.
The appeal to emotion is in contrast to an appeal to logic and reason. Authors R. Malcolm Murray and Nebojša Kujundžić distinguish " prima facie reasons" from "considered reasons" when discussing this. An emotion, elicited via emotive language, may form a prima facie reason for action, but further work is required before one can obtain a considered reason.
Emotive arguments and loaded language are particularly persuasive because they exploit the human weakness for acting immediately based upon an emotional response, without such further considered judgement. Due to such potential for emotional complication, it is generally advisable to avoid loaded language in argument or speech when fairness and impartiality is one of the goals. Anthony Weston, for example, admonishes students and writers: "In general, avoid language whose only function is to sway the emotions".
One aspect of loaded language is that loaded words and phrases occur in pairs, sometimes as political framing techniques by individuals with opposing agendas. Heller calls these "a Boo! version and a Hooray! version" to differentiate those with negative and positive emotional connotations. Examples include bureaucrat versus public servant, anti-abortion versus pro-life, regime versus government, and elitist versus expert.
In the 1946 essay "Politics and the English Language", George Orwell discussed the use of loaded language in political discourse:
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