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tautology
[taw-tol-uh-jee]
noun
plural
tautologiesneedless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.”
an instance of such repetition.
Logic.
a compound propositional form all of whose instances are true, as “A or not A.”
an instance of such a form, as “This candidate will win or will not win.”
tautology
/ ˌtɔːtəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, tɔːˈtɒlədʒɪ /
noun
the use of words that merely repeat elements of the meaning already conveyed, as in the sentence Will these supplies be adequate enough? in place of Will these supplies be adequate?
logic a statement that is always true, esp a truth-functional expression that takes the value true for all combinations of values of its components, as in either the sun is out or the sun is not out Compare inconsistency contingency
Other Word Forms
- tautological adjective
- tautologic adjective
- tautologous adjective
- tautologist noun
- ˌٲܳٴˈDz adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of tautology1
Word History and Origins
Origin of tautology1
Example Sentences
Too true, in the way that tautologies always are: Anti-Jewish hatred is indeed antisemitism.
On one level, this is a fairly ridiculous tautology.
The problem with this narrative is that it’s just a pejorative tautology.
Blaming “high prices” on “profiteering” isn’t an explanation; it’s a tautology.
I just say “the novel”; which isn’t an answer, it’s a tautology — but a necessary one maybe.
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Related Words
When To Use
A tautology is the unnecessary repetition of an idea, statement, or word whose meaning has already been expressed, as in 8 a.m. in the morning. (The label a.m. indicates the morning, so in the morning creates a tautology).Tautologies say the same thing twice without adding new information or emphasis.In logic, tautology has a more specific meaning: a statement that is always true, as in Statement 1 is true or not true or Either we will arrive on time or we will not arrive on time. Example: My professor pointed out that the phrase “evening sunset” is a tautology because sunsets always happen in the evening.
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