tautology

Syllabification: tau·tol·o·gy

Pronunciation: /tôˈtäləjē 

  

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NOUN (plural tautologies)

• 1The saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style (e.g., they arrived one after the other in succession).

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  • It is conceivable that the key to truth lies in tautology and redundancy.
  • Redundancy and tautology are undesirable, and a sign of less than careful writing.
  • But really, spinning out some kind of clever model to illustrate that idea is unnecessary tautology: I can say it in just a few simple words.
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  SYNONYMS
• 1.1A phrase or expression in which the same thing is said twice in different words.

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  • But then, Coward himself was less refined than he thought: ‘The general consensus of opinion,’ he has Hugo say, two tautologies in a mere five words.
  • I'm not saying he is a sloppy reviewer, because the phrase ‘sloppy reviewer’ is a tautology when it comes to the press.
  • Incidentally, white jasmine is a tautology in the Indian context.
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• 1.2Logic A statement that is true by necessity or by virtue of its logical form.

  MORE EXAMPLE SENTENCES

  • The past, in effect, is a tautology; it is true by virtue of its logical form alone.
  • It doesn't affect the validity of the statement, so you can include it without destroying your tautology.
  • Some authors treated the quantity theory as a matter of causal relation and explanation, often differing as to the content and direction of explanation, whereas others saw it as a truism, identity or tautology.