Traditionally, the art of public speaking and debate. Rhetorical skills are valued in such occupations as politics, teaching, law, religion, and broadcasting. These skills involve the use of technical linguistic devices, such as
rhetorical questions,
allegory, and
hyperbole.
Accomplished rhetoricians need not be sincere in what they say; they should, however, be effective, or at least entertaining. Rhetoric is often a pejorative term (for example, Cut the rhetoric and tell us what you really think).
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