rhe·tor·i·cal

(rĭ-tôr′ĭ-kəl, -tŏr′-)

adj.

1. Of or relating to rhetoric.

2. Characterized by overelaborate or bombastic rhetoric.

3. Used for persuasive effect: a speech punctuated by rhetorical pauses.

rhe·tor′i·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adv.

rhetorically - in a rhetorical manner; "`What can be done?' he asked rhetorically"

Translations

rhetorically

[rɪˈtɒrɪkəlɪ] ADV → retóricamente
I speak rhetorically → hablo en metáfora

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

rhetorically

adv (pej) → schwülstig; ask → rhetorisch

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

rhetorically

[rɪˈtɒrɪk/əlɪ] adv (ask, declaim) → in modo retorico

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

That dovish spin was also offset by the fact that "most" officials agreed this would be "mid-cycle adjustment" and that the policy course would remain data dependent (or at least rhetorically as analysts see it).

Treasury Action: there was scant movement in the markets

'Do we expect for the Swabi district Nazim to solve, say, the law and order situation in the district,' he asked rhetorically, while speaking to reporters at a press conference.

Could solve Kashmir if PTI given one chance at Indian federal govt, says Imran

'As a father, how do you think I should feel to hear that five of my children have been kidnapped while on their way to attend the Ministers Conference?' Pastor Adeboye asked rhetorically.

BREAKING: Gunmen Abduct 5 RCCG Pastors Along Ijebu-Ode Road, Adeboye Calls For Prayers

'If I can arrive on time then why can you not?', PM was quoted as saying rhetorically to the latecomers.

PM says governing Pakistan is easier

The PPP leader rhetorically asked why he was not stressing for respect of people's votes during Changa Manga operation against late Benazir Bhutto, while serving under shadow of Ziaul Haq and IGI and 'black coat' movement against former president Asif Ali Zardari.

No bigger stooge than Nawaz Sharif: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD -- Former premier Nawaz Sharif rhetorically asked on Tuesday over Senate chairman polls that which was the force that made opposition parties namely Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) bow down to its wishes.

Before which force PTI, PPP bowed down to, asks Nawaz

She rhetorically asked what the forces working against Nawaz Sharif could find in two months when they could not find any evidence to nab him for the past one and a half years.

Maryam lashes out at judiciary over series of notices

Gujranwala -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has claimed that prisons would fall short of space while rhetorically asking the top court how many of the people would be tried for contempt of court for supporting Nawaz Sharif despite disqualification as premier.

Vindictive judiciary unable to find evidence against Nawaz

Summary: The importance of having an "independent judiciary" in Lebanon is one of those things that are supported, rhetorically at least, by political parties and civil society groups of all stripes.

Judging the judiciary

The real lesson, he says, is that we should build modern reactors--but hindsight bias can be used rhetorically to trivialize design errors made 40 years ago.