word usage - What makes a question rhetorical?



according to Wikipedia:


A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply.


Example: "How much longer must our people endure this injustice?"



So would any question for which an answer is not expected be considered rhetorical?


On SE, users are presented the following question.



Have you considered accepting an answer or starting a bounty for this question?



There is no mechanism for responding to the question but it is more reminding than persuasive. Is it a rhetorical question?



according to reference.com


rhetorical - used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect.



By this definition, a question that was crafted (expected) to receive a certain response (such as a loaded question) might also be rhetorical if used merely for it's style or effect.


In my experience, people often say a question is rhetorical if they do not expect (or usually want) an answer but it has little to do with the question being persuasive or not.


Is there an exact set of criteria that can be used to evaluate the context of a question in order to determine if it is in fact rhetorical?




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