tautology

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   useless repetition

   To say that something is `adequate enough' is a tautology.

2. 2
   noun

   a statement that is necessarily true

   The statement 'You are brave or you are not brave' is a tautology.

3. 3
   noun

   Redundant use of words, a pleonasm, an unnecessary and tedious repetition.

   It is tautology to say, "Forward Planning".

4. 4
   noun

   An expression that features tautology.

   The expression "raze to the ground" is a tautology, since the word "raze" includes the notion "to the ground".

From Late Latin tautologia, from Ancient Greek ταὐτολογία (tautología) from ταὐτός (tautós, “the same”) + λόγος (lógos, “explanation”). By surface analysis, tauto- + -logy.

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