rhetorical question

rhetorical question (retorisk spørsmål): a sentence with the form of a question, but with the function of a statement. Rhetorical questions are often used in order to express an opinion. Example: What could be more democratic than to give people a direct say in these things? What could be more arrogant than to deny it to them? (='Nothing could be more democratic/arrogant'). A speaker who uses a rhetorical question does not require an answer from an addressee (as opposed to the use of ordinary questions), but believes (or pretends) that the addressee agrees with him/her.