tautology — a statement that is necessarily true because it says the same thing twice in different words
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a statement that is necessarily true because it says the same thing twice in different words
Pronunciation (IPA): /tɔːˈtɑːlədʒi/
Example Sentences
- The boss said 'We need to work together as a team' - what a tautology!
- His speech was full of tautologies like 'past history' and 'future plans'.
- 'Free gift' is a classic tautology - aren't all gifts free?
tautology
NOUN[/tɔːˈtɑːlədʒi/]
a statement that is necessarily true because it says the same thing twice in different words
His speech was a pure tautology, saying the same thing twice in a row.
Biology professor offers an apology for his tautology!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Greek 'tautologia', combining 'tauto-' (the same) and '-logia' (discourse or study). The term was used by ancient Greek philosophers to describe statements that merely repeat themselves.
Breakdown
tauto- (the same, from Greek autos) + -logy (discourse/study, from Greek logos) = tautology
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The boss said 'We need to work together as a team' - what a tautology!”
“His speech was full of tautologies like 'past history' and 'future plans'.”
“'Free gift' is a classic tautology - aren't all gifts free?”
“The politician's answer was a meaningless tautology that said nothing new.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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