rhetoric meaning and definition

RHETORIC noun

Definition of rhetoric (noun)

1. 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"
   • synonyms: grandiloquence, grandiosity, magniloquence, ornateness
3. loud and confused and empty talk
   • "mere rhetoric"
   • synonyms: empty talk, empty words, hot air, palaver
4. study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)