rhetorical
/ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.38 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Asked for dramatic or persuasive effect, rather than to get an answer.
Example Sentences
- "Unfortunately, she has used the attack as a launch pad for a bizarre and undercooked exercise in rhetorical bothsidesism, in which she argues that American Jews should be just as worried about college students who overzealously criticize Israel as they are about the aspiring Einsatzgruppen who shoot up shuls."
- "'"Are you an idiot? Actually, don't answer that, it was rhetorical.""
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: rethorycal, rēthoricus, ῥητορικός
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəl/
- British English: /ɹɪˈtɒɹ.ɪ.kəl/