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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
The action itself is mundane, almost aggressively ordinary, yet the repetition becomes psychologically adhesive.—
Andrew S. Jacobson,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2026
-
Harris adapted Is God Is from her play of the same name, and the theatrical spirit lives on in the film through the rhythm and repetition of the dialogue.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 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
-
At fashion’s flagship sustainability conference, the industry doubled down on circularity, recasting sustainability as a business problem and pushing workers to the margins of the conversation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
That, of course, is hyperbole, insofar as the fourth straight loss left them just half a game behind the San Diego Padres, and still the odds-on favorite (per various betting sites) to win their third straight title.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The systems on the Dali were originally designed with reliable redundancies and automatic restart capabilities so the ship could quickly regain power after a blackout.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
-
The war exposed significant structural flaws in the global energy supply chain – a complex, interwoven system that balances redundancy and efficiency.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tautology.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tautology. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
