rhet ‧ o ‧ ric /ˈretərɪk/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: rethorique , from Latin , from Greek rhetorike , from rhetor 'public speaker' , from eirein 'to say, speak' ]
1 . language that is used to persuade or influence people, especially language that sounds impressive but is not actually sincere or useful:
The speech was dismissed by some people as merely political rhetoric.
rhetoric of
the rhetoric of socialism
2 . the art of speaking or writing to persuade or influence people