rhetorical question

American  

[ri-tawr-i-kuhl kwes-chuhn, -tor-] / rɪˈtɔr ɪ kəl ˈkwɛs tʃən, -ˈtɒr- /

noun

Rhetoric.

• rhetorical questions
  plural

1. a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion of affirmation or denial and not to elicit a reply, as “Has there ever been a more perfect day for a picnic?” or “Are you out of your mind?”

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rhetorical question British  

noun

1. a question to which no answer is required: used esp for dramatic effect. An example is Who knows? (with the implication Nobody knows )

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rhetorical question Cultural  

1. A question posed without expectation of an answer but merely as a way of making a point: “You don't expect me to go along with that crazy scheme, do you?”

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rhetorical question Idioms  

1. A question asked without expecting an answer but for the sake of emphasis or effect. The expected answer is usually “yes” or “no.” For example, Can we improve the quality of our work? That's a rhetorical question. [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rhetorical questions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of rhetorical question

First recorded in 1835–45

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhetorical question

The senator said he responded, “Is that a rhetorical question, or would you like to really know?”

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

An ally later suggested he had been posing a rhetorical question.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2024

An ally of Mr Philp suggested the minister had been asking a rhetorical question, rather than a real one, as he tried to clarify what he had been asked.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2024

Looking at recent years and at its current ownership, one must wonder if this is a rhetorical question.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2024

Nearly half a century ago, a professor of entomology at Washington State College, A. L. Melander, asked the now purely rhetorical question, “Can insects become resistant to sprays?”

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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