rhetoric
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
- rhetorick (obsolete)
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English rethorik, from Latin rēthoricus, rhētoricus, from Ancient Greek ῥητορῐκός (rhētorikós).
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
rhetoric
- Synonym of rhetorical.
Etymology 2Edit
From Middle English rethorik, rhetoric, from Old French rhetorique, from Latin rhētorica, from Ancient Greek ῥητορική (rhētorikḗ), ellipsis of ῥητορικὴ τέχνη (rhētorikḕ tékhnē), from ῥητορικός (rhētorikós, “concerning public speech”), from ῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr, “public speaker”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
rhetoric (countable and uncountable, plural rhetorics)
- The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.
- 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 53:
- Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the survey results were known.
- Meaningless language with an exaggerated style intended to impress.
- It’s only so much rhetoric.
Usage notesEdit
- Adjectives often applied to "rhetoric":
- (by kind or area of application) political, legal, visual, classical, ancient
- (by quality) violent, empty, inflammatory, hateful, heated, fiery, vitriolic, angry, overheated, extreme
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
art of using language for persuasion
|
meaningless language
|