Definition of hyperbolic

The word "hyperbolic" comes from the Greek word "hyperbolē," meaning "excess" or "exaggeration." This term was used by the Greek rhetorician, Aristotle, to describe a figure of speech where exaggeration is used for emphasis. In mathematics, the term "hyperbola" is derived from the same Greek root, referring to a specific type of curve with two branches. It's named so because its shape can be seen as an "exaggeration" of a parabola. Thus, "hyperbolic" in both rhetoric and mathematics signifies a sense of exaggeration or exceeding a certain limit.