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Meaning of "rhetorical question" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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PRONUNCIATION OF RHETORICAL QUESTION

rhetorical question play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF RHETORICAL QUESTION

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Rhetorical question is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES RHETORICAL QUESTION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Rhetorical question

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked in order to make a point. The question, a rhetorical device, is posed not to elicit a specific answer, but rather to encourage the listener to consider a message or viewpoint. Though classically stated as a proper question, such a device may be posed declaratively by implying a question, and therefore may not always require a question mark when written. Though a rhetorical question does not require a direct answer, in many cases it may be intended to start a discussion or at least draw an acknowledgement that the listener understands the intended message. A common example is the question "Can't you do anything right?". This question, when posed, is intended not to ask about the listener's abilities, but rather to insinuate a lack of the listener's abilities. Although sometimes amusing and even humorous, rhetorical questions are rarely meant for pure, comedic effect. A carefully crafted question can, if delivered well, persuade an audience to believe in the position of the speaker. In simple terms, it is a question asked more to produce an effect than to summon an answer.

Definition of rhetorical question in the English dictionary

The definition of rhetorical question in the dictionary is a question to which no answer is required: used esp for dramatic effect. An example is Who knows?.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE RHETORICAL QUESTION

rhesus baby
rhesus factor
rhesus monkey
rhesus negative
rhesus positive
Rhetic
rhetor
rhetoric
rhetorical
rhetorically
rhetorician
rhetorize
rheum
rheumateese
rheumatic
rheumatic fever
rheumatical
rheumatically
rheumaticky

WORDS THAT END LIKE RHETORICAL QUESTION

accreditation
bastion
beyond (all) question
call in question
combustion
congestion
digestion
exhaustion
good question
heat of combustion
in question
indigestion
ingestion
open question
out of the question
pop the question
put the question
question
suggestion
trick question
yes/no question

Synonyms and antonyms of rhetorical question in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «rhetorical question» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF RHETORICAL QUESTION

Find out the translation of rhetorical question to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of rhetorical question from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «rhetorical question» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

反诘
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

pregunta retórica
570 millions of speakers

English

rhetorical question
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

शब्दाडंबरपूर्ण सवाल
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

سؤال بلاغي
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

риторический вопрос
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

pergunta retórica
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

তাত্ত্বিক প্রশ্ন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

question rhétorique
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Soalan retorik
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

rhetorische Frage
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

修辞疑問文
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

수사 학적 질문
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Pitakonan rhetorical
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

câu hỏi tu từ
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

சொல்லாட்சி கேள்வி
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

वक्तृत्व प्रश्न
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Retorik soru
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

domanda retorica
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

pytanie retoryczne
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

риторичне питання
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

întrebare retorică
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ρητορικό ερώτημα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

retoriese vraag
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

retorisk fråga
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

retorisk spørsmål
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of rhetorical question

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «RHETORICAL QUESTION»

The term «rhetorical question» is regularly used and occupies the 96.703 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
55
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «rhetorical question» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of rhetorical question
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «rhetorical question».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «RHETORICAL QUESTION» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «rhetorical question» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «rhetorical question» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about rhetorical question

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RHETORICAL QUESTION»

Discover the use of rhetorical question in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to rhetorical question and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Linguistics of American Sign Language: An Introduction
An example of a rhetorical question in ASL is as follows: rhet PRO.1 TIRED WHY STUDY ALL-NIGHT The symbol that is used for rhetorical questions is rhet. An English translation of this sentence could be "I'm tired. Why? Because I studied all ...
Clayton Valli, 2000
2
Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student ...
POPULAR RHETORICAL DEVICES: STRATEGY Rhetorical Questions 30 Device #6 Rhetorical Question: Don't you want to know how to use them well? The rhetorical question is something of a cousin to hypophora. While a hypophora asks a ...
‎2011
3
The Challenge of Effective Speaking
Questions can be rhetorical or direct. A rhetorical question seeks a mental rather than a direct response. Notice how the following student began his speech on counterfeiting with these three short rhetorical questions: What would you do with  ...
Rudolph Verderber, Kathleen Verderber, Deanna Sellnow, 2011
4
Libel and Privacy
1993) (rhetorical question, “who will benefit” from plaintiff's fundraising, is not actionable where question simply provoked public scrutiny); Cibenko v. Worth Publishers, Inc., 510 F. Supp. 761 (D.N.J. 1981) (rhetorical question is tantamount to ...
Bruce W. Sanford, 2004
5
Kaplan TOEFL IBT with CD-ROM
Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing to persuade, and a rhetorical question is one designed to influence the listener. There is no answer expected when a rhetorical question is asked. Context and tone are usually required to distinguish the ...
Kaplan, 2009
6
A Practical Chinese Grammar
The Rhetorical Question A rhetorical question is formed by simply attaching the marker ma to the end of a sentence. (1) ffc*tttt$$i4? Ni bu xiang ni baba ma? Don' t you miss your father? (2) ^m^nm? Ta gei ni xie xin ma? He writes to you?
Hongnian Zhang, Sze-yun Liu, Lilin Shi, 1994
7
Biblical Bible Translating
A rhetorical question is actually not a question at all. The one asking a rhetorical question is not asking for information. Instead, he is using the question to communicate information. By using a rhetorical question, he may want to ridicule, call ...
Charles V. Turner, 2002
8
GRE
Posing a rhetorical question can be a useful writing tool. Like short, abrupt sentences, rhetorical questions can help persuade the reader, or at least help to make your point. They can be quite effective, especially in Issue essays. They also add ...
Mark Alan Stewart, 2009
9
A Practical Study of Argument
One common form is the rhetorical question. A rhetorical question is put forward in the grammatical form of a question, but unlike most questions, it is not a request for information. Rather, it is a stylistically distinctive way of making a statement.
Trudy Govier, 2009
10
The Rhetorical Act: Thinking, Speaking and Writing Critically
Figure 5–4 identifies seven common strategies of proof, several of which are illustrated more fully. Rhetorical Questions. A rhetorical question is a question to which no answer is expected or to which only one answer can be given. It is an idea ...
Karlyn Campbell, Suszn Huxman, 2008

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RHETORICAL QUESTION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term rhetorical question is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Chief Justice John Roberts's rhetorical question calls for an answer
I'd like to answer Chief Justice John Roberts's question, which he posed in his dissenting opinion: “Just who do we think we are?” We're the United States of ... «Boston Globe, Jun 15»
2
The rhetorical question with an answer
The difference, the sense of hearing this rhetorical question for the first time, involved the significance of the moment. A neighbour – a woman who migrated from ... «Eureka Street, Jun 15»
3
Is That Rhetorical Question? Reporter Fails Louis van Gaal Test
And he did not take kindly to the questions he was asked by the reporter, who ... we have played the best match in the world, is this a rhetorical question I think? «Inside Futbol, Apr 15»
4
For Tsarnaev, a rhetorical question of guilt
Judy Clarke, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyer, was midway through her closing statement Monday when she posed a rhetorical question. “What does any of this ... «Boston Globe, Apr 15»
5
Ukip candidate asks: what happens when renewable energy runs out?
Victoria Ayling, Ukip's parliamentary candidate for Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire, posed the rhetorical question during a Question Time-style debate in ... «The Guardian, Feb 15»
6
“Where's Waldo?” no longer a rhetorical question thanks to this study
As the world continues to wait with bated breath for the white-knuckle thrill ride that—should it ever get made—will be the Where's Waldo? movie, a data scientist ... «A.V. Club Denver/Boulder, Feb 15»
7
Is it worth asking a rhetorical question?
Everyone knows about rhetorical questions, don't they? Don't answer that. This figure of speech – a question that does not anticipate an answer but implies one ... «Financial Times, Sep 14»
8
Effective use of rhetorical question in jury summation
Just consider Shakespeare's use of rhetorical questions in Marc Anthony's funeral oration in Julius Caesar, which turned mourners into an angry mob. «Lexology, Feb 14»
9
Did Harry Reid steal 2010 election? Sharron Angle calls it 'a …
“It is more of a rhetorical question,” Angle said. “People have such a lack of confidence in our electoral system, and it is because of the things they have seen ... «Reno Gazette Journal, Feb 14»
10
Rhetorical Question: Should Marijuana Be Legalized?
This seemingly uncomplicated question actually requires a thoughtful and emotive personal response worthy of the abomination created by social, legal, and ... «Ladybud Magazine, Jan 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Rhetorical question [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/rhetorical-question>. Apr 2024 ».
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