Definition
“a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion of affirmation or denial and not to elicit a reply”
"“Rhetorical Question Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/rhetorical-question.
Accessed 29 Aug. 2022
Informal Definition
A blatant question asked in a piece of writing that is not meant to be answered, but meant to add emphasis. It is used as a catchphrase or form of sarcasm more than a literal question.
Example:
“What’s not to like?” or “Can birds fly?”
Etymology
The first part of the phrase is derived from “the Greek rhetorikos, meaning oratorical, rhetorical, skilled in speaking.” Whereas the second word, question, “comes from the Anglo-French questiun, meaning an utterance meant to elicit an answer or discussion..”
“Rhetorical Question.” GRAMMARIST, 26 Oct. 2015, https://grammarist.com/phrase/rhetorical-question/#:~:text=The%20word%20rhetorical%20comes%20from,first%20used%20in%20the%201670s.
Accessed 29 Aug. 2022