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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Rather than getting caught in a web of repetition, Matheny wanted to spin some new ideas that felt natural.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But for the sake of avoiding repetition, let’s shout out some other players.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Remaining on stage with gracious verbalism, Batiste first acknowledged the nominees.—
Allison Hazel,
Essence,
9 June 2021
Noun
-
Local laws and supplier audits The OECD has called on Shein to publish further public information about its compliance with France’s anti-waste law (AGEC), which aims to move businesses toward greater circularity.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
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But panelists seemed to be more keen about mapping out ways the fashion industry and consumers can be proactive about circularity rather than reactive to extreme waste.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For those who follow the craft of comedy writing, none of that is hyperbole.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
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The drama ran on the CW network from 2007 to 2012 and—also not hyperbole—defined a generation while still inspiring spirited debates and yearly rewatches by both devoted fans and curious newcomers.—
María Mérida,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Maybe there’s a world where the Knicks see some redundancy — and McBride would bring back better draft capital in a trade than Dadiet.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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If there is no deal, the White House has ordered federal agencies to make plans for the large-scale redundancies.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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