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rhetorical stress

American

noun

stress required by the meaning of a line, as distinguished from that required by the meter.

Etymology

Origin of rhetorical stress

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

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rhetorical stress

Critics say that despite the administration's rhetorical stress on targeting those with criminal records and a level-off in illegal immigration, programs such as Secure Communities are in practice leading to unjust deportations.

From Reuters ● Sep. 20, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023