Word
rhetorical
Phoneticsrhetor·i·cal
US/ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəɫ/
UK/ɹɛtˈɒɹɪkəl/
Definitions
01a question not needing an answer
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describing a question you ask to make a point, not because you want an answer.
adj. describing a question asked for dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to elicit information.
“When he asked 'Who do you think you are?', it was a rhetorical question.”
“The speaker used a series of rhetorical questions to challenge the audience's assumptions without requiring them to speak aloud.”
Usage
Almost always used to modify the noun 'question'.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'sarcastic'; explain that while it can be sarcastic, the core meaning is about the lack of a required answer.
Synonyms
02related to persuasion
C1 · Advanced Academic
adj. related to the skill of using language to persuade or impress people.
adj. relating to the art or study of rhetoric; used to describe techniques of persuasion in speech or writing.
“The politician used many rhetorical tricks to win the crowd's support.”
“The essay was a masterpiece of rhetorical skill, balancing emotional appeals with logical evidence to sway the undecided voters.”
Usage
Commonly used in academic analysis of speeches or literature.
Synonyms
03insincere or empty
C2 · Proficiency Formal
adj. describing language that sounds impressive but is not sincere or honest.
adj. characterised by insincere or grandiloquent language that lacks substance or earnestness.
“The company's promise to help the environment felt like rhetorical talk.”
“Critics dismissed the leader's speech as purely rhetorical, arguing that it offered no concrete solutions to the economic crisis.”
Teaching tip
This sense carries a negative nuance, suggesting that the speaker is 'all talk' and no action.
Real-World Examples
“Other researchers describe prompt design as a rhetorical process shaped by purpose, context and audience , rather than a set of technical tricks.” “These writers freely borrowed plots, characters and rhetorical devices in the service of their own work.” Etymology
From Middle English rethorycal, rethoricalle, rethorycall, from rethorik, rhetoric (noun) or Latin rēthoricus, rhētoricus, from Ancient Greek ῥητορικός (rhētorikós, “concerning public speaking”). By surface analysis, rhetoric + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/rhetorical