tautology

plural tautologies

1. rhetoricuncountableRedundant use of words, a pleonasm, an unnecessary and tedious repetition.

   It is tautology to say, "Forward Planning".

   1 more example

   Note he won’t shout loudly – that’s known as a pleonasm, when more words than necessary are used. It’s the chief criticism of the adverb: stripping interesting verbs like “shout” of their punch. The tautology can come across as immature.

   2019 April 29, Gary Nunn, “Don't ditch the adverb, the emoji of writing”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 23 Jul 2019

2. countablerhetoricAn expression that features tautology.

   The expression "raze to the ground" is a tautology, since the word "raze" includes the notion "to the ground".

   2 more examples

   Pure mathematics consists of tautologies, analogous to ‘men are men’, but usually more complicated.

   1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy

   There can be few tautologies purer than the phrase "antisocial motoring". Nothing could be more antisocial than locking oneself into a steel box before hurtling down a Tarmac scar, cleaving urban and rural communities or unspoiled natural havens, past children held tight in the fearful grip of nervous parents while you fart toxic fumes in their general direction.

   2013 June 5, Ally Fogg, “How can you make driving more antisocial than it already is?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 18 Mar 2017

3. countablepropositional logichuman sciencesA statement that is true for all truth values of its propositional variables.
4. countablefirst-order logichuman sciencesA statement that is true for all truth values of its Boolean atoms.