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Historical vs Rhetorical - What's the difference?

historical | rhetorical |

As adjectives the difference between historical and rhetorical

is that historical is pertaining to the history, to what happened in the past while rhetorical is part of or similar to rhetoric, which is the use of language as a means to persuade.

As a noun historical

is a historical romance.

historical

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Pertaining to the history, to what happened in the past.
  • Usage notes

    * * See the usage notes about (m) for more.

    Synonyms

    * historic

    Derived terms

    * ahistorical * art-historical

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A historical romance.
  • * 1999 , Anne K. Kaler, Rosemary E. Johnson-Kurek, Romantic Conventions , page 63:
  • However, as regular romance readers know, the romance novels that appear on the best-seller lists are not Harlequins at all, but rather historicals and contemporaries, which vary widely from the Harlequin pattern in style, plot, and character.

    rhetorical

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Part of or similar to rhetoric, which is the use of language as a means to persuade.
  • A rhetorical question , for example, is one used merely to make a point, with no response expected.
  • Not earnest, or presented only for the purpose of an argument