What does rhetoric mean?

Question

What exactly does the word "rhetoric" mean?

Answer 1

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1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.
2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.
3. the study of the effective use of language.
4. the ability to use language effectively.
5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.
6. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.
7. (in classical oratory) the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience.
8. (in older use) a work on rhetoric.

The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
A treatise or book discussing this art.
A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric.
Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.
Skill in using language effectively and persuasively.

A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric.
Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.
Verbal communication; discourse.

using language effectively to please or persuade
2. high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation; "the grandiosity of his prose"; "an excessive ornateness of language" [syn: grandiosity]
3. loud and confused and empty talk; "mere rhetoric" [syn: palaver]
4. study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)

1. The art of composition; especially, elegant composition in prose.

2. Oratory; the art of speaking with propriety, elegance, and force. --Locke.

3. Hence, artificial eloquence; fine language or declamation without conviction or earnest feeling.

4. Fig. : The power of persuasion or attraction; that which allures or charms.

Sweet, silent rhetoric of persuading eyes.

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Answer 2

1.
1. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
2. A treatise or book discussing this art.
2. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively.
3.
1. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric.
2. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric.
4. Verbal communication; discourse.

[Middle English rethorik, from Old French rethorique, from Latin rhētoricē, rhētorica, from Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē), rhetorical (art), feminine of rhētorikos, rhetorical, from rhētōr, rhetor. See rhetor.]

The art of public speaking: declamation, elocution, oratory.

Definition: wordiness; long speech
Antonyms: conciseness

Political Dictionary: rhetoric

Rhetoric is the persuasive use of language. Until the eighteenth century its study was one of the central disciplines in European universities alongside theology, natural and moral sciences, and law. Thereafter, empiricist and positivist methods of social inquiry led to its eclipse, on the ground that language, scientifically used, was no more than a transparent medium by which knowledge of the world gained by experience was mediated. Rhetoric, accordingly, came to denote the unnecessary or misleading embellishment and corruption of language—a view which Plato had held of the sophists.

Literary Dictionary: rhetoric

the deliberate exploitation of eloquence for the most persuasive effect in public speaking or in writing. It was cultivated as an important art and science in antiquity, and was an essential ele‐ment of medieval university education, involving the elaborate categorizing of figures of speech together with the arts of memory, arrangement, and oratorical delivery. The emphasis on sincerity in the culture of Romanticism helped to discredit rhetoric, so that the usual modern sense of the term implies empty and ineffectual grandness in public speech.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: rhetoric

Art of speaking or writing effectively. It may entail the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times, and it can also involve the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. Classical rhetoric probably developed along with democracy in Syracuse (Sicily) in the 5th century BC, when dispossessed landowners argued claims before their fellow citizens. Shrewd speakers sought help from teachers of oratory, called rhetors. This use of language was of interest to philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle because the oratorical arguments called into question the relationships among language, truth, and morality. The Romans recognized separate aspects of the process of composing speeches, a compartmentalization that grew more pronounced with time. Renaissance scholars and poets studied rhetoric closely, and it was a central concern of humanism. In all times and places where rhetoric has been significant, listening and reading and speaking and writing have been the critical skills necessary for effective communication.

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Source(s):

http://www.answers.com/rhetoric

Answer 3

rhet·o·ric

rhet·o·ric [réttərik]
n
1. persuasive speech or writing: speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively
2. pretentious words: complex or elaborate language that only succeeds in sounding pretentious
3. empty talk: fine-sounding but insincere or empty language
4. skill with language: the ability to use language effectively, especially to persuade or influence people
5. study of writing or speaking effectively: the study of methods employed to write or speak effectively and persuasively


[14th century. Via Old French rethorique < Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē) "(art) of public speaking" < rhētor "speaker"]

Answer 4

I got you some definitions....if you need any other definitions go to www.dictionary.com



–noun
1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.
2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.
3. the study of the effective use of language.
4. the ability to use language effectively.
5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.
6. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.
7. (in classical oratory) the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience.

Source(s):

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Answer 5

The art of arguement and speech making. The various tricks and devices were taught as a subject. This site gives a table listing 45 of these, with examples:

http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.…

Answer 6

dictionary.com will tell you all you need to know about "rhetoric"...