rhetorically

[ ri-tawr-ik-lee, -tor- ]

/ rɪˈtɔr ɪk li, -ˈtɒr- /

Save This Word!

adverb

in a way that uses language for style or effect:These essays discuss how the term participatory has been deployed rhetorically by a range of institutions.

not expecting an answer, either because the answer is unknowable or because it is obvious:I am not asking the question rhetorically or snidely.

in way that uses language in an exaggerated way: The realities of the global marketplace are quite apparent; they don't need to be rhetorically beaten to death.

in a way that uses specialized literary language, such as figures of speech: Some of the entries are concise, but most of them are verbally and rhetorically elaborate.

in a way that uses language particularly effectively:Her testimony was rhetorically strong, but scientifically weak.

using words, especially in the absence of action:He fails to demonstrate the validity of his claims, but merely asserts them rhetorically.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rhetorically

rhetorical + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM rhetorically

non·rhe·tor·i·cal·ly, adverbun·rhe·tor·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby rhetorically

rhet., Rhetic, rhetor, rhetoric, rhetorical, rhetorically, rhetorical question, rhetorical stress, rhetorician, rheum, rheumatic

How to use rhetorically in a sentence

You can make a case for a broad and diversified education curriculum and against banning books without rhetorically relegating parents to bystanders in the process.
The two quotes that defined Democrats’ bad Election Day|Aaron Blake|November 5, 2021|Washington Post
“We have a game plan in Afghanistan that I think justifies the expenditures of blood and treasure that’s about to come,” Graham also said in 2009, prompting Carlson to respond rhetorically.
Tucker Mocks Lindsey Graham’s ‘Fundraising’ Fox Interviews: ‘It’s Political Televangelism’|Justin Baragona|September 2, 2021|The Daily Beast
The policy priorities are malleable and flexible, so long as the politician rhetorically punches the right people.
Why Republicans Are So Determined to Distort the Truth About the Capitol Attack|David French|July 29, 2021|Time
Lerman explained that consumers more and more expect digital service in response to their questions — “who wants to call a 1-800 number,” he asked rhetorically — which is forcing companies to rethink the way they handle customer inquiries.
Once a buzzword, digital transformation is reshaping markets|Ron Miller|May 28, 2021|TechCrunch

Can be really good or really bad whichever is more rhetorically useful.
Big Tech’s guide to talking about AI ethics|Karen Hao|April 13, 2021|MIT Technology Review
I say rhetorically because we were all supposed to know that the answer was yes.
Why Do We Forgive Manny Ramirez for Being Manny?|Allen Barra|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But some presidents grow stronger rhetorically in the job as the gravitas of the office lends depth to their words.
President Obama’s Belgian Waffle|Stuart Stevens|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And most Ukrainian leaders of all stripes and ethnicities remain monumentally corrupt and rhetorically dishonest.
Cut the Baloney on Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rhetorically, the president is back in his comfort zone—campaigning and using catchy slogans to rally his Democratic base.
Obama: A President Tests His Limits|Ron Christie|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As recently as the 1980s, the cover of a Paris news weekly asked rhetorically, “Are the French dirty?”
Paris’s New Metro Etiquette Manual is a Rosetta Stone for Travelers|Christopher Dickey|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was rhetorically holding forth; the other two were earnest listeners—his theme, the battle of Vittoria.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 67, Number 414, April, 1850|Various
He grants that he is rude in speech—not rhetorically gifted or trained—a plain, blunt man who speaks right on.
Expositor's Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians|James Denney
The interrogative form of his statement is rhetorically the strongest possible affirmation.
The Testimony of the Bible Concerning the Assumptions of Destructive Criticism|S. E. Wishard
The interest of the human race, though it may be disguised rhetorically, is the interest that everybody finds in gossip.
Confessions of a Book-Lover|Maurice Francis Egan
I don't speak rhetorically or carelessly; I speak as I ought to speak here—with mathematical precision.
On the Old Road Vol. 1 (of 2)|John Ruskin