tautologism
C2 (Very Low Frequency)Formal, Academic, Critical
Definition
Meaning
A phrase or statement that repeats the same idea in different words, resulting in redundancy.
More broadly, it refers to a stylistic or logical flaw where unnecessary repetition occurs, often used pejoratively to critique writing, speech, or reasoning.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a term used in rhetoric, logic, and literary criticism. It describes an instance of tautology, which is the underlying concept.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally rare and formal in both varieties.
Connotations
Universally negative, implying unnecessary verbosity, lack of precision, or poor style.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora. The base noun 'tautology' is far more common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to be guilty of [tautologism]to spot/identify a [tautologism] inthe [tautologism] inherent in the phraseVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used in formal reports or critiques of business writing: 'The proposal was weakened by several tautologisms, such as "future plans."''
Academic
Most common in rhetoric, philosophy, linguistics, and literary criticism papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used. A layperson would say "repeating yourself."
Technical
Used precisely in logic (e.g., a tautologous statement) and stylistic analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The tautologistic phrase 'added bonus' is best avoided in careful writing.
American English
- His tautologistic expression 'end result' was edited out of the final draft.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Saying 'free gift' is a tautologism because a gift is always free.
- The editor circled the tautologism 'past history' in the manuscript, noting that history is, by definition, past.
- The philosopher dismissed the proposition as a mere tautologism, arguing it provided no new information by defining a thing in terms of itself.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'TAUTology is a TAUT and over-TIGHT logical loop saying the same thing twice.'
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A CONTAINER → A tautologism is an overfilled container where extra words add no new content.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as "тавтология" (tautologiya) in everyday contexts, as the Russian word is more common and can be used less technically. The English word is a high-register critique.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'truism' (a self-evident truth). A tautologism is about redundant *form*, not necessarily obvious content.
- Using it as a synonym for any repetition; it specifically refers to unnecessary semantic repetition.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following phrases best exemplifies a tautologism?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Tautology' is the general, abstract concept or principle of redundant repetition. 'Tautologism' refers to a specific instance or example of a tautology (e.g., a particular phrase like 'final outcome').
No, it is a very low-frequency, formal word. The more common term is 'tautology', or in everyday language, people would say 'repetition' or 'redundancy'.
Rarely. In rhetoric or poetry, deliberate tautology can be used for emphasis, clarity in technical definitions, or a specific stylistic effect. However, in standard prose and argumentation, it is typically considered a flaw.
Yes, they are classic examples of tautologisms known as RAS syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome). They redundantly repeat the noun already embedded in the acronym (Personal Identification Number *number*).