Rhetoric

Rhetoric

Meaning and Usage

Noun

1.  The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; the power of persuasion or attraction; that which allures or charms.
2. A treatise or book discussing this art.
3. The art of composition; especially, an elegant composition in prose.
4. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric.
5. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous; artificial or exaggerated language, fine language or declamation without conviction or earnest feeling.
6. Verbal communication; discourse; the art of speaking with propriety, elegance, and force
7. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

 Rhetorical

Adjective

 Rhetorical is the adjective form of rhetoric. Is also has a special usage. A rhetorical question is one for which answer is not expected.

Ex: "Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked rhetorically.

 Forms:

Rhetorical: Adjective

Rhetorically: Adverb

 Synonyms: oratory, eloquence, diction, bombast, loftiness, turgidity, boastfulness, bragging, heroics, hyperbole, pompousness, sonorousness, windiness, wordiness, verbosity, prolixity, elocution, declamation, speechifying, grandiloquence, spieling, rant, fustian, magniloquence, aureate, orotund, overblown, swollen.

Antonyms: conciseness, unrhetorical

Let's look at some examples:

1. In posting a rhetorical question, he hoped to get people thinking.

Adjective: Question for which answer is not expected.

 2. His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.

Adjective: declamation without conviction or earnest feeling

 3. Instead, he simply left it to Vice President to spout the anti-American rhetoric.

Adjective: grandiloquence, magniloquence, sonorousness

 4. The company’s rhetoric on breadth is not always backed up in fact, yet we regard it as a major 'brand' asset.

Adjective: boastfulness, grandiloquence, magniloquence, sonorousness

 5. What are the effects of the rhetorics of empowerment and participation pushed by government and NGOs?

6. The once politically centrist, science-based vision of environmentalism has been largely replaced with extremist rhetoric.

7. There's been no shortage of soaring rhetoric at this summit

Adjective: grandiloquence, magniloquence, sonorousness

8. He was considered to excel in this form of rhetoric.

Adjective: eloquence, Style of oration.

 9. He had a tendency to engage in rhetorical hyperbole.

Adjective: overblown

 10. I got swayed by her rhetoric into donating all my savings to the charity.

Adjective: elocution, declamation.

Origin:

• 1300-50; < Latin rhētorica < Greek rhētorikḕ (téchnē) rhetorical (art); replacing Middle English rethorik < Medieval Latin rēthorica, Latin rhētorica, as above.
• C14: via Latin from Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē) (the art of) rhetoric, fromrhētōr rhetor.
• early 14c., from Old French rethorique, from Latin rhetorice, from Greekrhetorike techne "art of an orator," from rhetor (genitive rhetoros) "speaker, orator, teacher of rhetoric," related to rhesis "speech," rhema"word, phrase, verb," literally "that which is spoken," from PIE *wre-tor-, from root *were- "to speak" (cf. Old English word, Latin verbum, Greek eirein "to say;" see verb ).

Contemporary Examples:

1. “You try to always scratch where the itch is,” Huckabee said about his campaigning and rhetoric in the 2008 primary.
2. He has struck a promising tone these last few days with his rhetoric about trying to “see each other.”
3. Francis is well into his seventies, looks it, has a mild demeanor and soft speaking style; but his rhetoric is electrifying.
4. In return, Cuban rhetoric wholeheartedly blamed the United States for crippling their economy.
5. I saw it first hand during the conflict in Gaza this summer when friendships ended as the conflict and the rhetoric heated up.
6. But the art, as far as there is an art, of rhetoric does not lie in the direction of Lysias or Thrasymachus.
7. We see therefore that even in rhetoric an element of truth is required.
8. This is not an easy task, and this, if there be such an art, is the art of rhetoric.
9. But I will proceed to the other speech, which, as I think, is also suggestive to students of rhetoric.

 ~Jay Mehta

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Jay Mehta.

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