Style is a way of speaking or acting that distinguishes one person or group from another. It is also used to describe a particular manner of dress or writing. Style is a combination of many factors, including word choice, sound, logic and sentence structure. Authors make choices about these factors when they write, and their use of them creates a distinct literary style that distinguishes their work from other works.
Style can be seen in every form of communication, including speech, music, painting and literature. A spokesman’s tone of voice is often described as “his style.” A musician’s melodies can be called “her style of singing” and a work of art may be labeled “their style.” The term is also used in an abstract sense to describe a general mode of artistic production, such as a period of history or the style of a specific artist.
It is important for people to have a strong sense of personal style, as it helps them stand out from the crowd and make a positive impression on those they interact with. A strong sense of personal style can be achieved through a careful examination of one’s words, actions and behaviors. A person can also cultivate his or her own unique style through the selection of clothing that best represents his or her personality and interests.
While there are some similarities between different styles, each has its own individual characteristics. This is especially true of the literary styles, as each author’s style is influenced by the experiences he or she has had in life and by his or her thoughts and feelings.
Generally, descriptive style uses sensory words to evoke a well-rounded picture of the subject being described. This is a common technique in poetry and novels. The writer tries to tell the story without simply telling it, but rather conveys how the subject feels or looks in a poetic, almost musical way.
Persuasive style is a way of writing that seeks to convince the reader to think or act in a particular way. This type of writing is often used in newspaper articles, media speeches and cover letters.
The term is often shortened to “style,” a word with a number of synonyms, such as manner, approach, method, system and design. However, the simplest definition is a set of formatting characteristics that distinguishes an object from others, such as a font size, color and alignment. A computer application such as Microsoft Word has several styles to choose from, so the user can easily change the look of text throughout a document with only a few clicks of a mouse. This feature is also available in web development software such as CSS.