Tautology

Noun

Definition: The saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style.

Synonyms: Repetition, Redundancy, Pleonasm

Antonyms: Conciseness, Precision, Clarity

Examples:

"The rise up movement is growing in numbers in number."
"It is what it is."

Mnemonics:

"Tautology" reminds of "taut" (tight) and "ology" (study of), indicating a study of tightness in language (repetition).

Etymology:

Origin:

Late 16th century from Greek tautologia, from tauto- 'the same' + -logia 'saying'.

Historical Usage:

Tautology, as a linguistic concept, has been discussed and identified since the time of Ancient Greek philosophy.

Related Idioms:

Idiom:

"Same difference"

Explanation:

Used to point out a tautological statement where two things, despite being described differently, are essentially the same.

Misconceptions:

Misconception:

Confusing tautology with redundancy.

Explanation:

While tautology often involves redundancy, not all redundancies are necessarily tautological. A tautology specifically refers to the repetition of the same idea, concept, or meaning using different words. Redundancy, on the other hand, refers to unnecessary repetition that may or may not involve stating the same thing twice.