Synonyms for pleonasm
Most common
redundancy verbiage tautology circumlocution superfluity diffuseness
Definitions
- n. 1
Redundancy in wording.
Related words
- Word family
- pleonastic
Forms
- Plural
- pleonasms → redundancies, verbiages, tautologies, circumlocutions…
Choose the right word
Pleonasm is the expression of an idea already plainly implied; tautology is the restatement in other words of an idea already stated, or a useless repetition of a word or words. Pleonasm may add emphasis; tautology is always a fault.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- redundancy Tom wasn't eligible for redundancy payment.
- verbiage Words should be meaningful, not just verbiage.
- tautology "That's a tautology." "No it's not. It's a paradox."
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| pleonasm | steady | |
| redundancy | steady | |
| verbiage | falling | |
| tautology | steady | |
| circumlocution | steady | |
| superfluity | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 8 letters
- verbiage3
- 9 letters
- tautology
- 10 letters
- redundancy4
- 11 letters
- superfluity, diffuseness
- 14 letters
- circumlocution
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (verbiage3 = 3 syllables).