rhetoric
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rhetoric /ˈrɛtərɪk/
▶noun the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.
■ language with a persuasive or impressive effect, but often lacking sincerity or meaningful content.
– origin ME: from OFr. rethorique, via L. from Gk rhētorikē (tekhnē) ‘(art) of rhetoric’, from rhētōr ‘rhetor’.
'rhetoric' also found in these Oxford entries:
anaphora
- anastrophe
- aporia
- aposiopesis
- apostrophe
- apostrophize
- climax
- hypallage
- hyperbaton
- hysteron proteron
- paralipsis
- period
- prolepsis
- rhetor
- rhetorical
- rhetorician
- sophist
- tautology
- trivial
- trivium
- trope
- tropology
