rhetoric

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’).