| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| rhetoric |
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| SYLLABICATION: | rhet·o·ric |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  r t  r- k |
| NOUN: | 1a. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. b. A treatise or book discussing this art. 2. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively. 3a. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric. b. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric. 4. Verbal communication; discourse. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English rethorik, from Old French rethorique, from Latin rh toric, rhtorica, from Greek rhtorik (tekhn), rhetorical (art), feminine of rhtorikos, rhetorical, from rht r, rhetor. See rhetor.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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