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Synonyms

rhetorician

American  
[ret-uh-rish-uhn] / ˌrɛt əˈrɪʃ ən /

noun

  1. an expert in the art of rhetoric.

  2. a person who teaches rhetoric.

  3. a person who writes or speaks in an elaborate or exaggerated style.


rhetorician British  
/ ˌrɛtəˈrɪʃən /

noun

  1. a teacher of the art of rhetoric

  2. a stylish or eloquent writer or speaker

  3. a person whose speech is pompous or extravagant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rhetorician

1375–1425; late Middle English rethoricien < Middle French rethorique rhetoric + -ien -ian

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.

In conversation with sociologist and Hamilton University President Stephen Pepper, Obama, ever the master rhetorician, said:

From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025

But that’s not to say that this doubting 1956 novel should be completely separated from the rhetorician, who spoke with such clarity and assurance at the Cambridge Union in 1965.

From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2019

Franklin was a gifted rhetorician and singer, and he prospered as the pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2018

His most important tool, as a scientist and rhetorician, would be simplicity.

From Slate • May 17, 2017

What Disraeli said of Gladstone was also true of Churchill: he was “a sophisticated rhetorician, inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity.”

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith