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
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The stage version’s episodic structure, aside from its tendency toward repetition, largely works well as a vehicle for Bunny’s restless imagination.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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On his latest album, the Russian producer crafts distinctive dub techno rhythms inspired by the chiming repetitions of Indonesian gamelan music.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Remaining on stage with gracious verbalism, Batiste first acknowledged the nominees.—
Allison Hazel,
Essence,
9 June 2021
Noun
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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
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In an industry obsessed with next-gen recycling technologies and circularity buzzwords, the existing global system for textile reuse is often overlooked—or worse, misunderstood.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Whether circularity guidelines and ESG targets focused on regenerative fibers will meet these demands remains to be seen.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The bill’s supporters rely on conspiratorial hyperbole that would make a MAGA podcaster proud.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
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Political hyperbole lowers the threshold of what the public can imagine as legitimate, as allowable.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The company has long invested in the technical infrastructure underpinning its feeds, creating a streaming backbone full of redundancies for Thursday Night Football and commissioning two new production trucks—nicknamed Bird and Magic—for its traveling NBA shows.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s interim director general, announced the redundancy proposals in an all-staff call on Wednesday afternoon local time.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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