wayssuch

Wayssuch is a neologism that has appeared in discussions of rhetoric and information design to describe a particular pattern of presenting information. The core idea behind wayssuch is to first delineate multiple possible methods, options, or interpretations (the ways), and then to anchor or illustrate these possibilities with a concrete example or representative instance introduced by a general term such as “such as” or by a summarizing example. The term emphasizes the sequencing from plurality to specificity, and is sometimes described as a hybrid of enumerative listing and exemplification.

Origins are uncertain; it has circulated in online discussion forums and design-writing references since the 2010s, without formal adoption in textbooks or style guides. As a concept, wayssuch is used to label a rhetorical pattern rather than to prescribe a fixed phrasing. In practice, it may appear in editorial notes, academic prose, or teaching materials that aim to clarify options before showing a single instance.

Usage and reception vary. In writing instruction, wayssuch can help students learn to present options clearly before giving evidence. In content design, it can structure explanations, proposals, or user guides. A typical instance might present several possible approaches to a problem, followed by a concrete example illustrating one of them. Critics say the term can be vague or redundant with existing patterns such as exemplum or enumeratio.

See also: enumeratio, exemplum, rhetorical pattern, information design.