I've always used the term "sophist" for this, although the dictionary definition of the term seems to have drifted slightly from the meaning it held in classica

I've always used the term "sophist" for this, although the dictionary definition of the term seems to have drifted slightly from the meaning it held in classical antiquity. Per Wikipedia, "In the second half of the 5th century BC, particularly in Athens, "sophist" came to denote a class of mostly itinerant intellectuals who taught courses in various subjects, speculated about the nature of language and culture, and employed rhetoric to achieve their purposes, generally to persuade or convince others. "Sophists did, however, have one important thing in common: whatever else they did or did not claim to know, they characteristically had a great understanding of what words would entertain or impress or persuade an audience." Sophists went to Athens to teach because the city was flourishing at the time. It was good employment for those good at debate, which was a speciality of the first sophists, and they received the fame and fortune they were seeking." from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophist