rhetorical
Americanadjective
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used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect, rather than truth, substance, or meaning.
Her bold and ingenious analogies, although engaging, are purely rhetorical, adding nothing to our understanding of the issue.
- Synonyms:
- oratorical, stylistic, verbal
-
marked by or tending to use exaggerated language or bombast.
Fortunately, the rebel leaders did not have the military power to follow through on their fiery rhetorical eruptions.
-
of, relating to, or concerned with rhetoric, or the skillful use of language to persuade people.
She had spent hours with her advisors discussing rhetorical strategy, and now it was time to deliver the speech.
-
of, relating to, or in reference to a rhetorical question.
No need to respond—that was rhetorical.
adjective
-
concerned with effect or style rather than content or meaning; bombastic
-
of or relating to rhetoric or oratory
Other Word Forms
- nonrhetorical adjective
- rhetorically adverb
- rhetoricalness noun
- unrhetorical adjective
Etymology
Origin of rhetorical
First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin rhētoric(us) (from Greek rhētorikós ) + -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His calling card: He added a dose of mirth to the sober ministerings of a profession not known for its sense of humor or rhetorical skills.
Still, even if Ms. Spanberger possessed the rhetorical skills of FDR or Reagan, she would look small.
In a concurring opinion, Gorsuch stated the stakes more plainly by posing a rhetorical question: If the president’s argument was given credence, then “what do we make of the Constitution’s text?”
From Salon
That theme and his considerable rhetorical gifts would make him a national political figure by the end of the 1980s and one of the most influential Democratic power brokers of his era.
He’s ruthless in deciding which rhetorical nerves to hit and when to keep society’s blessing for moving his visions forward.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
