as in repetition
a statement in which you repeat a word, idea, etc., in a way that is not necessary
"A beginner who has just started" is a tautology.
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Recent Examples of tautology
That tautology, in the age of Trump, is now a matter of judicial precedent.
—
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Saying ‘Hungary is for Hungarians’ or ‘America is for Americans’ is a tautology.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Sadaf spouts a tautology — faith as faith — that also holds for patriotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Yes, a win is a win, but tautologies aside, for the Niners, a win with Purdy playing like one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday would speak volumes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
The goal was to market something in every category, which led to the occasional tautology.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Saying ‘Hungary is for Hungarians’ or ‘America is for Americans’ is a tautology.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Sadaf spouts a tautology — faith as faith — that also holds for patriotism.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Yes, a win is a win, but tautologies aside, for the Niners, a win with Purdy playing like one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL on Sunday would speak volumes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
The goal was to market something in every category, which led to the occasional tautology.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tautology
Noun
-
No choice, no road, no hope— only the endless repetition of the sordid and the semi-tragic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
All forms of strength training can help, but heavier lifting at lower repetitions is most effective.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Remaining on stage with gracious verbalism, Batiste first acknowledged the nominees.—
Allison Hazel,
Essence,
9 June 2021
Noun
-
The repetitiveness of the plot is not helped by the many montages writer-director Yandy Laurens uses as shortcuts, instead of writing scenes that show how the central relationship is developing.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Aimed at improving circularity and extending the life cycle of its products, M&S partnered with Redskinned—a company that repairs, resells and recycles used garments—to operate the eBay storefront.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Treating natural systems as core sporting assets makes circularity a business imperative.—
Sebastian Buckup,
Time,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To suggest the Penguins are in trouble in terms of making the postseason isn’t hyperbole.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But this is the season of hyperbole, so the Dodgers still have a chance to go 194-0 between the Cactus League and the regular season.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The aircraft, which has only 18 moving parts, is full of redundancy to prevent system failures.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
When redundancy disappears, so does some of that freedom.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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