rhetoric
noun
rhet·o·ric
ˈre-tə-rik 
1
: the art of speaking or writing effectively: such as
a
: the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times
b
: the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion
2
a
: skill in the effective use of speech
b
: a type or mode of language or speech
also
: insincere or grandiloquent language
Synonyms
Examples of rhetoric in a Sentence
The media almost never discuss what the sweeping dismantling of public services inherent in the rhetoric of the antigovernment movement would mean in practice.
—
E. J. Dionne, Jr., Commonweal, 20 Nov. 2009
What they are in reality are the romantic words of a man who needs glorious rhetoric to cover up murderous reality.
—Pete Hamill, Cosmopolitan, April 1976
No speech could have been more thoroughly honest in its intention: the frigid rhetoric at the end was as sincere as the bark of a dog, or the cawing of an amorous rook.
—George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1872
Otherwise he might have been a great general, blowing up all sorts of towns, or he might have been a great politician, dealing in all sorts of parliamentary rhetoric; but as it was, he and the Court of Chancery had fallen upon each other in the pleasantest way, and nobody was much the worse …
—Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852-53
a college course in rhetoric
the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program
Recent Examples on the Web
However, what violent extremists perceive as a tacit nod of approval — based on Trump’s own violent rhetoric — could lead to a surge in domestic terrorism in a country that remains anxious, angry and well-armed.
—Colin P. Clarke, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Last fall, she was censured for her rhetoric on the Israel-Hamas war, which critics condemned as anti-Semitic.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
But despite the lengthy speeches and political platforms, the rhetoric of the campaign trail doesn't lend itself to nuanced explanations on their different approaches to these matters.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
When Los Tigres Del Norte took the stage at a Harris-Walz rally in Las Vegas just before Election Day, the band channeled the frustrations of many Latino voters, providing a compelling response to Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near rhetoric
Cite this Entry
“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhetoric. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
rhetoric
noun
rhet·o·ric
ˈret-ə-rik
1
: the art of speaking or writing effectively
2
: the study or use of the principles and rules of composition
3
a
: skill in the effective use of speech
b
: language that is not honest, sincere, or meaningful
rhetorician
noun
ˌret-ə-ˈrish-ən
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