pleonasm (Meaning)

Wordnet

pleonasm (n)

using more words than necessary

Webster

pleonasm (n.)

Redundancy of language in speaking or writing; the use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; as, I saw it with my own eyes.

pleonasm Sentence Examples

  1. The recurring pleonasm "all of a sudden" redundantly emphasizes the abruptness of an event.
  2. The phrase "absolutely essential" is a pleonasm since "essential" already implies the idea of absoluteness.
  3. The pleonasm "past history" unnecessarily combines two synonymous terms to describe the same concept.
  4. "Free gift" is a pleonasm, as all gifts are inherently free of charge.
  5. The pleonasm "open up" combines the redundant verbs "open" and "up" to describe the same action.
  6. The phrase "mutual agreement" is a pleonasm, as any agreement must involve more than one party.
  7. The pleonasm "new innovation" combines the redundant terms "new" and "innovation" to describe the same concept.
  8. The phrase "precisely exact" is a pleonasm, as "precise" already implies the idea of exactness.
  9. The pleonasm "round in shape" unnecessarily combines the redundant terms "round" and "shape" to describe the same characteristic.
  10. The phrase "true facts" is a pleonasm, as all facts are inherently true by definition.

FAQs About the word pleonasm

using more words than necessaryRedundancy of language in speaking or writing; the use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; as, I saw it with my

prolixity, garrulity,tautology, garrulousness, verbosity, circumlocution, diffuseness, reiteration, periphrasis,verbalism

concision, succinctness, concision,brevity, conciseness, succinctness, conciseness, terseness, terseness, crispness

The recurring pleonasm "all of a sudden" redundantly emphasizes the abruptness of an event.

The phrase "absolutely essential" is a pleonasm since "essential" already implies the idea of absoluteness.

The pleonasm "past history" unnecessarily combines two synonymous terms to describe the same concept.

"Free gift" is a pleonasm, as all gifts are inherently free of charge.