What does “rhetoric” mean?
- 1
nounspeech or writing meant to persuade, often seen as impressive but insincere
Voters are tired of empty political rhetoric.
- 2
nounthe skill of using language effectively to persuade
Students in ancient Greece studied rhetoric.
Rhetoric at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈrɛtərɪk/ · RET-er-ik
How to use “rhetoric” correctly
Often negative in modern use. A “rhetorical question” is asked for effect, not to get an answer.
Common phrases with “rhetoric”
- empty rhetoric
- political rhetoric
- rhetorical question
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- rhetorical
“rhetoric” is on these word lists
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