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retórica

rhetoric

noun rreh-TOH-ree-kah Rare

Origin: From Greek rhetorike (the art of speaking).

Usage Note

Retórica can be neutral (the classical art of persuasion, a school subject) or pejorative — pura retórica means empty talk with no substance behind it. When used dismissively it implies that words are being used to impress rather than inform, making it a useful critical term in politics and debate.

Examples

"Su discurso fue brillante pero lleno de retórica vacía."

Natural Translation

His speech was brilliant but full of empty rhetoric.

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