| a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply, as “What is so rare as a day in June?” |
| rhetorical question n. A question to which no answer is expected, often used for rhetorical effect. |
rhetorical question
A question asked without expecting an answer but for the sake of emphasis or effect. The expected answer is usually "yes" or "no." For example, Can we improve the quality of our work? That's a rhetorical question. [Late 1800s]