rhetoric Hear it!

rhetoric definition

rheto·ric (ret′ər ik)

noun

    1. the art of using words effectively in speaking or writing; esp., now, the art of prose composition
    2. skill in this
    3. a treatise or book on this
  2. artificial eloquence; language that is showy and elaborate but largely empty of clear ideas or sincere emotion

Etymology: ME rethorike < OFr or L: OFr rethorique < L rhetorica < Gr rhētorikē (technē), rhetorical (art) < rhētōr, orator: see rhetor

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rhetoric Synonyms

rhetoric

n.

  1. Speech

    composition, discourse, oratory, oration; see eloquence 1, speech 3.

  2. Grandiloquence

    bombast, high-flown language, empty talk; see euphuism, flatulence, wordiness.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rhetoric Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • spout: Instead, he simply left it to Vise President Adina Bastidas to spout the anti-American rhetoric.

Preposition: into

  • reality: Can one observe any borrowings or ' translations ' of the previous rhetoric into the new reality?

Adjective modifier

  • epideictic: The theater is the place where epideictic rhetoric belongs.

Preposition: on

  • breadth: Our rhetoric on breadth is not always backed up in fact, yet we regard it as a major 'brand ' asset.

Modifies a noun

  • johnson: Rhetoric johnson maintained out to me the quot capital.

Preposition: of

  • empowerment: What are the effects of the rhetorics of empowerment and participation pushed by government and NGOs?

Noun used with modifier

  • extremist: The once politically centrist, science-based vision of environmentalism has been largely replaced with extremist rhetoric.
rhetoric usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

rhetoric quotes

Historiesmakemenwise; poets, witty; themathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

America hasjust passedthrough†an eight-yearcoma in which slogans were confused with solutions and rhetoric passed for reality.

-Bentsen, Lloyd Millard,Jr

   The United Nations cannot do anything, and never could. It is not an animate entity or agent. It is a place, a stage, a forum and a shrine†a place to which powerful people can repair when they are fearful about the course on which their own rhetoric seems to be propelling them.

-Oates,Joyce Carol

rhetoric quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"rhetoric." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/rhetoric>

APA Style

rhetoric. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/rhetoric

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment