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
-
He’s known as one of the pioneers of minimalism, a style which focuses on repetition and structure.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
6 May 2026
-
Proper form and control matter more than doing higher repetitions.—
Christa Sgobba,
Health,
5 May 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
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While the perfect textile-to-textile recycling solution remains just out of reach, the panelists agreed that the work being done now will lead to a future of greater circularity for post-consumer textiles.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
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One area that leading mills hope will remain resilient is the denim industry’s commitment to circularity and recycled cotton.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The high court ruled that Watts' comment was crude political hyperbole and did not constitute a true threat under the law.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
If the Penguins had won, it would have been remembered as one of the great goaltending performances in team history, and that’s not hyperbole.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The result would be fewer redundancies and more equitable delivery.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
Second, social programs should be reviewed for redundancies and duplications.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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