rhetorical
UK /ɹɪˈtɒɹ.ɪ.kəl/ · US /ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəl/ adjective, noun
Forms rhetoricals
- adjective Part of or similar to rhetoric, the use of language as a means to persuade.
- adjective Not earnest, or presented only for the purpose of an argument.
- adjective (of a question) Asked for dramatic or persuasive effect, rather than to get an answer. “'"Are you an idiot? Actually, don't answer that, it was rhetorical."”
- noun (education, dated) A study or exercise in rhetoric.
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English rethorycal, rethoricalle, rethorycall, from rethorik, rhetoric (noun) or Latin rēthoricus, rhētoricus, from Ancient Greek ῥητορικός (rhētorikós, “concerning public speaking”). By surface analysis, rhetoric + -al.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to rhetoric; according to, or exhibiting, rhetoric; oratorical; as, the rhetorical art; a rhetorical treatise; a rhetorical flourish.
Etymology [L. rhetoricus, Gr. Rhetoric.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rhetorical”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details