THE WORDCRAFT DEFINITION DICTIONARY
rhetoric
noun
The art of effective expression; also language criticized as impressive but lacking substance.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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The seminar examines how rhetoric shapes persuasive essays.
At a neighborhood exhibition meeting, Felix admired the speaker's rhetoric: a clear structure and memorable examples made the proposal easy to follow.
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The Proposal Behind the PersuasionReading 1 / Open lessonAPPLY IT AND RETURN
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The rhetoric family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
rhetoricaladjective
Relating to the effective use of language; sometimes intended for effect without expecting a literal answer.
The speaker used a rhetorical question to introduce the central problem.
The rhetorical force of a student campaign speech came from a clear contrast between the broken bike racks and the simple repairs being proposed.
About this entry
This entry is part of the vocabulary collection supplied by GlobalRPh. Definitions are concise study meanings. Examples combine original teaching sentences with selected passages adapted from the supplied study notes; their source is labeled beside each example. A word may have additional specialized or historical senses.
Adapted from supplied vocabulary notes. Example written for WordCraft.
Source study sections: 10, 11, 14.
Dictionary scope and sources