Derived from two Greek words, the preposition epi (upon) and verb deiknynai (to show), the adjective basically means "to show" or "to display." A speech is said to be epideictic when its concern is to reinforce beliefs already accepted by the audience. The letter to the Hebrews, e.g., is often said to be epideictic. In contrast, a speech that seeks to persuade, or dissuade, an audience to make a decision is said to be 'deliberative.'
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