Meanings
adverbrhetorically (not comparable)
- not comparableIn a rhetorical manner.
Bronx councilmember Rev. Wendell Foster rhetorically asked city council president Andrew Stein if he could cast two votes, being of "divided mind."
1986 April 5, Bruce-Michael Gelbert, “NYC Grants Rights Bill to Lesbians, Gay Men”, in Gay Community News, page 3 - not comparableWith reference to rhetoric.
Origin
- Middle Englishretorycally
- Englishrhetorically
From Middle English retorycally; equivalent to rhetorical + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech rétoricky
- rétorickyin a rhetorical manner
Finnish retorisesti
- retorisestiin a rhetorical manner
French rhétoriquement
- rhétoriquementin a rhetorical manner
Polish retorycznie
- retoryczniein a rhetorical manner
Russian ритори́чески
- ритори́чески (ritoríčeski)in a rhetorical manner
Spanish retóricamente
- retóricamentein a rhetorical manner
Swedish retoriskt
- retorisktin a rhetorical manner
Cite this entry
APA
rhetorically. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorically
MLA
“rhetorically.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorically. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhetorically,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetorically.
Source: rhetorically on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.