tautology
2
8.5
- noun
- /tɔːˈtɑːləʤi/
- Firstly, there were many compositions in blank verse that were not at all lyrical, and secondly, the title was a tautology: "For what ballads are not lyrical?" he asked.
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Watch on YouTubeOne linguistic tautology is that things that are truly irresistible will not be resisted.
- One linguistic tautology is that things that are truly irresistible will not be resisted.
- It's a tautology grasping another tautology, if you can picture that in your head.
- They're using a pseudoscience of that's kind of a tautology of psychiatry.
- To speak is to commit tautologies.
Examples
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Some of them are mere tautologies such as "Murder is wrong" where "what counts as murder... varies enormously from society to society."
Academic text (2000) -
Evolution is not a tautology, and there is very much a science of evolution.
Blog text (1) -
Hence, one has to avoid the tautology of the oil scenario as a cause of U.S. intervention.
Academic text (1993) -
One linguistic tautology is that things that are truly irresistible will not be resisted.
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Where religion purports to explain, it actually resorts to tautology.
Blog text (32) -
Few rhetoricians discuss or exemplify the simplest use of chiasmus: repetitive tautology or identity.
Academic text (2001) -
A tautology is when you say the same thing twice in different words, like 'free gift'.
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Many speakers fall into the trap of using tautologies, such as saying 'ATM machine' where 'ATM' already means 'automated teller machine'.
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In writing, using tautology can weaken your argument, making it less concise and clear.
Synonyms
11
5.2
Unnecessary repetition that makes speech or writing longer
2
4.9
An action of saying or doing the same thing again to make it clear and show its importance
1
3.2
Using the same word or phrase to make a point stronger and create a rhythm
1
9.9
A phrase that uses more words than needed
Antonyms
How Redundant
Surface Forms
Morphology
tautology = tauto + logy
The components suggest 'saying the same thing', which fits the idea of needless repetition, but the exact use as a label for redundancy is still somewhat specialized.
Etymology
Tautology comes from Greek parts tauto- meaning 'the same' and -logy from logos meaning 'word' or 'reason'. A helpful way to remember the everyday meaning is to think of saying the 'same word' twice — the sentence repeats the same idea and so feels unnecessary.