stylistics

noun

sty·​lis·​tics stī-ˈli-stiks 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: an aspect of literary study that emphasizes the analysis of various elements of style (such as metaphor and diction)

2

: the study of the devices in a language that produce expressive value

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1