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tautology

tautology

2 8.5
Words that repeat the same idea unnecessarily
  • noun
  • /tɔːˈtɑːləʤi/
translation icon : redundancia
  • 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.

One linguistic tautology is that things that are truly irresistible will not be resisted.

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Examples

  • 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.

  • 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'.

  • Many speakers fall into the trap of using tautologies, such as saying 'ATM machine' where 'ATM' already means 'automated teller machine'.

  • In writing, using tautology can weaken your argument, making it less concise and clear.

Synonyms

repetition
vstautology
  • Literature
10 3.2

Using the same word or phrase to make a point stronger and create a rhythm

repeats without adding meaning, making the statement unnecessary
redundancy
vstautology
8 5.2

Unnecessary repetition that makes speech or writing longer

focuses on repeating words to make a statement unnecessary
reiteration
vstautology
3 4.9

An action of saying or doing the same thing again to make it clear and show its importance

repeats purely out of redundancy rather than for clarity or emphasis
pleonasm
vstautology
9.9

A phrase that uses more words than needed

repeats the same idea unnecessarily, focusing on idea duplication

Antonyms

14 5.3

Using few words when speaking or writing

How Redundant

wordiness
1 4.8
pleonasm
9.9
tautology
2 8.5
redundancy
8 5.2
repetition
44 2.0

Surface Forms

tautology singular
tautologies plural

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.