rhetoric

American  

[ret-er-ik] / ˈrɛt ər ɪk /

noun

1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

3. the study of the effective use of language.

4. the ability to use language effectively.

5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.

6. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.

7. (in classical oratory) the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience.

8. (in older use) a work on rhetoric.

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rhetoric British  

/ ˈrɛtərɪk /

noun

1. the study of the technique of using language effectively

2. the art of using speech to persuade, influence, or please; oratory

3. excessive use of ornamentation and contrivance in spoken or written discourse; bombast

4. speech or discourse that pretends to significance but lacks true meaning

   all the politician says is mere rhetoric

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Etymology

Origin of rhetoric

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin rhētorica, from Greek rhētorikḕ (téchnē) “rhetorical (art)”; replacing Middle English rethorik, from Medieval Latin rēthorica, Latin rhētorica, as above

Explanation

Rhetoric is speaking or writing that's intended to persuade. If your goal is to write editorial columns for the New York Times, you should work on your rhetoric. Rhetoric comes from the Greek meaning "speaker" and is used for the art of persuasive speaking or writing. When people listened eagerly to long speeches and studied them in school, rhetoric was generally used positively; now it is often a negative term, implying artfulness over real content. If someone gives a clever speech but doesn't really address the problem, you might say, "That's just a lot of rhetoric."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhetoric

Vance took a subtly centrist tone in his speech, evoking his blue-collar upbringing while avoiding much of the harsh rhetoric that has made Trump so divisive.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

"I think what we need to be very careful of is misinformation that's circulating on social media, as that rhetoric absolutely fuels community tensions and can lead to protests as we've seen recently," he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Describing some of the ideas raised during this time as useful, Ocasio-Cortez said, “during lockdown, of course — rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.”

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

In other words, the mall site that launched the entire movement could see the tech park go ahead if the county executive fails to follow her own rhetoric, even if the two-year moratorium otherwise lasts.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Indeed, his impassioned rhetoric, while doubtless sincere, was both misguided and counterproductive.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• hyperbole
• oratory