rhetoric

English

Alternative forms

• rhetorick (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed 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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛtəɹɪk/

Adjective

rhetoric

1. Synonym of rhetorical.

Noun

rhetoric (countable and uncountable, plural rhetorics)

1. The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.
2. Meaningless language with an exaggerated style intended to impress.

   It’s only so much rhetoric.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "rhetoric": political, legal, visual, classical, ancient, violent, empty, inflammatory, hateful, heated, fiery, vitriolic, angry, overheated, extreme.

Synonyms

• wordcraft

Derived terms

• rhetorical
• rhetorician

Related terms

▼ English terms derived from the PIE root *werh₁-‎ (0 c, 11 e)

  adverb

  adverbial

  rhematic

  rheme

  rhetic

  rhetor

  rhetoric

  verb

  verbal

  verve

  word

Translations

art of using language for persuasion

• Armenian: հռետորաբանություն (hṙetorabanutʿyun)
• Catalan: retòrica (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 修辭 (zh), 修辞 (zh) (xiūcí)

• Czech: řečnictví n, rétorika f
• Danish: retorik, velformuleret
• Dutch: redekunde f, retorica (nl) f, retoriek (nl) f
• Finnish: puhetaito (fi), retoriikka (fi)
• French: rhétorique (fr) f, discours (fr)
• German: Rhetorik (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ῥητορική f (rhētorikḗ)

• Hebrew: רטוריקה‎ (he) f

• Irish: reitric f, roscaireacht f
• Italian: retorica (it) f
• Korean: 미사여구 (ko) (misayeogu)
• Persian: بلاغت‎ (fa)
• Polish: retoryka (pl) f
• Portuguese: retórica (pt) f
• Russian: красноре́чие (ru) n (krasnoréčije), красноба́йство (ru) n (krasnobájstvo), рито́рика (ru) f (ritórika)
• Serbo-Croatian: retòrika (sh) f, gòvōrnīštvo (sh) n
• Spanish: retórica (es) f
• Swedish: retorik (sv) c
• Tagalog: sayusay
• Thai: วาทศิลป์ (waa-tá-sǐn)
• Ukrainian: рето́рика f (retóryka)

meaningless language

• Catalan: retòrica (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 強詞奪理 (zh), 强词夺理 (zh) (qiángcíduólǐ)

• Czech: rétorika f, floskule f
• Danish: retorik, kancellistil
• Finnish: retoriikka (fi)

• French: rhétorique (fr) f
• Irish: reitric f, roscaireacht f
• Portuguese: retórica (pt) f
• Russian: пустосло́вие (ru) n (pustoslóvije), фразёрство (ru) n (frazjórstvo), словоблу́дие (ru) n (slovoblúdije), пустозво́нство (ru) n (pustozvónstvo)
• Serbo-Croatian: retòrika (sh) f
• Spanish: retórica (es) f

See also

• preterition
• Appendix:Glossary of rhetoric

Anagrams

• torchier