rhetoric

[ret-er-ik]

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.

rhetoric

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhetoric¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhetoric¹

C14: via Latin from Greek rhētorikē ( tekhnē ) (the art of) rhetoric, from rhētōr _rhetor

Example Sentences

She majored in rhetoric and writing at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Tempering democratic rhetoric with aristocratic restraint, he rises above the divisions of debate to deliver the funeral oration when Athens buries its dead sons in the war’s first winter.

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This domestic messaging is an intensification of an already amped-up atmosphere of Taiwan reunification rhetoric in China.

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You could feel the rhetoric towards us change.

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The tough rhetoric, especially coming from a center-left party, underscores a shift in sentiment on the continent as right-wing, anti-immigration parties rise in the polls.

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Related Words

• hyperbole 
• oratory