rhetoric

EnglishEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative formsEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English rethorik, from Latin rēthoricus, rhētoricus, from Ancient Greek ῥητορῐκός (rhētorikós).

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈtɒɹɪk/
  • (file)

AdjectiveEdit

rhetoric

  1. 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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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
See alsoEdit

AnagramsEdit