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tautological

tautological

2 8.3
Saying the same thing again using different words
  • adjective
  • /ˌtɔːtəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/
translation icon : tautológico
  • Paraphrasing items would inflate alphas without adding breadth to the scale, with a narrow and tautological factor as the result.
  • tautological nature

Examples

  • At the outset, it is important to recognize and reject an obvious but tautological possibility.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Level 1 reasons were sometimes circular or tautological and often relied heavily on personal and immediate experiences.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The only proof is tautological: they agreed.

    Academic text (2008)
  • That's almost tautological because where else would you get it?

  • In one sense, a tautological statement is an assertion of identity.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The point is logical, even tautological: pluralism in the past helps ensure political pluralism in the present.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Robert Nelson has recently defined the icon's system of signification as circular and tautological.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The disparate reaction to Ali suggests another conclusion that verges on being tautological but nevertheless needs to be stated.

    Academic text (1992)
  • A tautological argument often repeats the same idea without adding any new information.

  • When she said, 'This is a free tautological gift,' it was a tautological statement since all gifts are free by definition.

Synonyms

redundant
vstautological
49 5.1

More than needed and not useful because it repeats something

is focused on repeating the same idea rather than general unneeded items
tautologous
vstautological
9.9

Saying the same thing twice in different words without adding new information

is the same in meaning but described with a slightly different form
tautologic
vstautological
9.9

Saying the same thing twice in different words

focuses on needless repetition of the same thought rather than mere extra wording
pleonastic
vstautological
9.9

Using more words than needed, often repeating the same idea

is about repeating the same idea specifically rather than general verbosity

Antonyms

37 4.2

Using few words to give important information clearly

18 6.4

Short and clear, using only a few words

12 7.0

Using few words and sounding unfriendly or abrupt

How Redundant

tautological
2 8.3
redundant
49 5.1
repetitive
58 3.5

Surface Forms

tautological positive
tautologicaler comparative
tautologicalest superlative

Morphology

tautological = tautology (transparent) = tautology + ical

The adjective is directly derived from the noun 'tautology' with a standard adjectival suffix, so its meaning as 'relating to needless repetition' follows predictably.

Etymology

Tautological comes from Greek parts tauto- meaning 'same' and -logical (like logic) meaning 'word' or 'reason'. So a tautological statement is literally 'saying the same thing' and is used for sentences that repeat the same idea in different words.