# rhetorical

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɹɪˈtɒɹ.ɪ.kəl/ · frequency rank #17,705

## Definitions
1. Part of or similar to rhetoric, the use of language as a means to persuade.
2. Not earnest, or presented only for the purpose of an argument.

## Etymology
From Middle English rethorycal, rethoricalle, rethorycall, from rethorik, rhetoric (noun) or Latin rēthoricus, rhētoricus, from Ancient Greek ῥητορικός (rhētorikós, “concerning public speaking”). By surface analysis, rhetoric + -al.

## Easily confused with
- **rhetoric** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rhetoric-vs-rhetorical)

## Common misspellings (15)
`hretorical`, `rehtorical`, `rheotrical`, `rhetoircal`, `rhetorcial`, `rhetoriacl`, `rhetoricall`, `rhetoriccal`, `rhetoricla`, `rhetorrical`, `rhetroical`, `rhettorical`, `rhhetorical`, `rhteorical`, `rrhetorical`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rhetorical