The first rhetoric meaning is the art of using language to persuade, inform or move an audience: choosing words, structure and tone so that a speech, essay or ad works on the people who receive it. Students study rhetoric, lawyers practice it in court, and every good speech uses it.
The word has a second, critical sense. When someone dismisses a statement as just rhetoric, they mean it sounds impressive but lacks honesty, action or real content. Both senses are in daily use, and the tone of the sentence usually tells you which one is meant.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
The skill of persuasive language; also showy talk without substancePart of speech
Noun (usually uncountable)Pronunciation
RET-er-ikWord forms
rhetorical, rhetorically, rhetoricianOrigin
Greek rhetorike techne, the art of the public speakerClose words
oratory, eloquence, persuasion, spinRegister
Neutral in study; critical in politics and news
Two senses of the word
- The study and craft of persuasion. She teaches rhetoric at the university. In this sense rhetoric is neutral: a set of skills and tools, like grammar.
- Language meant to impress more than inform. Voters are tired of rhetoric; they want results. Here it hints at exaggeration, emotional pressure or promises that will not be kept.
A related use names the typical language of a group or cause: the rhetoric of reform, wartime rhetoric, marketing rhetoric. That phrase points to the shared phrases and arguments a group relies on.
Rhetoric meaning in action: the three appeals
Ancient Greek teachers of speaking described three main ways a speaker wins people over, and modern classes still use their terms:
- Ethos: trust in the speaker's character or expertise. As a nurse for twenty years, I have seen this firsthand.
- Pathos: appeal to emotion. A story about one child who could not get treatment.
- Logos: appeal to logic and evidence. Figures, reasons, cause and effect.
Examples in sentences
- The debate coach showed us how to use rhetoric without twisting the facts.
- Beneath the heated rhetoric, both sides agreed on most of the plan.
- Her essay won because of its clear rhetoric and strong evidence.
- The company's green rhetoric did not match its actual factory emissions.
- He asked, rhetorically, whether anyone enjoyed Monday mornings.
Rhetorical questions and devices
The adjective rhetorical appears most often in rhetorical question: a question asked for effect, with no answer expected. Who doesn't love a long weekend?
Rhetoric also covers a toolkit of rhetorical devices, the patterns that make language stick. Some you may know:
- repetition of a key phrase at the start of several lines
- hyperbole, deliberate exaggeration
- contrast set side by side, sometimes called antithesis
- groups of three, which feel complete to the ear
- alliteration and other sound play
Dozens of these devices have their own entries; start from the grammar and writing hub.
Where the word comes from
The earliest English records of rhetoric date from the early 1300s, spelled rethorike, meaning skill in eloquent and persuasive speech. Its path ran from Greek through Latin and Old French: the source is Greek rhetorike techne, the art of the orator. The Greek rhetor meant a public speaker, from a root meaning to speak that also gave English the word word. Even in ancient times rhetoric had a double reputation, prized as a civic skill and suspected as clever trickery, which explains the two senses we still use.
Rhetoric, oratory, propaganda and spin
| Term | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Rhetoric | Persuasive language in general, spoken or written |
| Oratory | The skill of public speaking specifically |
| Eloquence | Fluent, graceful expression; always praise |
| Propaganda | Organized messaging to spread one view, often misleading |
| Spin | Informal; presenting facts in a slanted way |
Rhetoric is the widest of these. Propaganda and spin use rhetoric, but not all rhetoric is propaganda.
Using rhetoric correctly
Rhetoric is an uncountable noun in most uses: say a lot of rhetoric, not a lot of rhetorics. Common pairings: heated rhetoric, empty rhetoric, angry rhetoric, tone down the rhetoric, rhetoric versus reality. The spelling trips people up; the h after the r is silent, as in rhythm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the definition of rhetoric in simple words?
Rhetoric is the use of language to persuade people. It can also mean impressive-sounding talk that has little real content behind it.
Is rhetoric a bad thing?
Not in itself. As a skill, it is taught in schools and used in fair arguments. It earns a bad name when it replaces facts or is used to mislead.
How do you pronounce rhetoric?
Say RET-er-ik, with the h silent. The adjective rhetorical moves the stress: rih-TOR-ih-kul.
What is a rhetorical question?
It is a question asked to make a point, not to get an answer. Saying how many times do I have to tell you is a common example.
What does empty rhetoric mean?
Empty rhetoric is persuasive or emotional language with no plan, proof or action behind it. People use the phrase to say a speaker's words do not match their deeds.
How would you define rhetoric for an English class?
Rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing, including the study of how speakers use appeals like ethos, pathos and logos and devices such as repetition and contrast.