rhetor

Rhetor is a term for a person skilled in rhetoric, particularly a public speaker or a teacher of rhetoric. The word derives from the Greek rhētōr, meaning “one who speaks” or “public speaker,” and was borrowed into Latin as rhetor to denote both the speaker and the instructor of rhetoric. In classical usage, the rhetor could be the speaker in a deliberative or forensic setting and, more broadly, a professional who educated others in the theory and practice of persuasion.

In ancient Greece, rhetoric was a central part of civic life, and rhetors or teachers of rhetoric played a key role in public discourse. The profession was associated with the art of persuasion, including argument structure, style, delivery, and the ethical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos. In Rome, the term rhetor came to designate a teacher of rhetoric within the education system, as well as the skilled orator who used rhetorical technique in law and politics. Rhetoric education typically occurred alongside grammar, and the rhetor was seen as shaping a citizen’s ability to persuade audiences.

In modern contexts, the term rhetor is largely historical or scholarly. It is used to describe ancient or medieval instructors and practitioners of rhetoric, or translated as rhetoric teacher, rhetorician, or orator. Contemporary discussions more commonly employ those terms, but the concept remains central to the study of persuasive speaking and the functions of language in public life. Related terms include rhetoric, rhetorician, and elocutionist.