tautological

/ˌtɔːtəˈlɒdʒɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌtɔːtəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌtȯ-tə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce tautological (audio)/ (ame, mw)

tautological — adjective

  • tautologicalpositive
  • more tautologicalcomparative
  • most tautologicalsuperlative

1. describing language that repeats one idea in different words, so the extra wordi

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing language that repeats one idea in different words, so the extra wording adds nothing new

例句

The sign said 'advance forward,' which sounded tautological to Greta.

tautological phrase: repeated meaning inside one expression

Meera crossed out the tautological phrase 'past history' in the brochure.

tautological + phrase (editing context)

同義詞
  • redundant

    broader; can describe anything unnecessary, not only repeated meaning in wording

  • repetitive

    broader and less precise; often about something happening again and again

  • wordy

    informal; emphasizes too many words, not exact meaning overlap

反義詞
  • concise

    uses only the words needed

  • succinct

    formal alternative for brief and efficient wording

文法句型

be tautological

tautological + noun (phrase / wording / definition / statement)

用法筆記

Usually used when discussing wording, definitions, or arguments. It criticizes repeated meaning inside the same expression, not just a long passage or repeated behavior over time.

常見錯誤

❌The lecture was tautological because it lasted two hours.
✅The lecture sounded tautological because the speaker kept restating the same point in different words.
💡Tautological refers to repeated meaning, not simply to length.
❌The song is tautological because the chorus comes back four times.
✅The song is repetitive because the chorus comes back four times.
💡A repeated section over time is usually repetitive, not tautological.

2. in logic, describing a statement that cannot be false because its form makes it

2.形容詞C2
釋義

in logic, describing a statement that cannot be false because its form makes it true in every possible case

例句

In the seminar, Talia called 'A or not A' a tautological statement.

tautological statement in logic

The proof began with a tautological formula that stays true in every case.

tautological formula

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

tautological + statement / formula / proposition

be tautological under every interpretation

用法筆記

This technical sense belongs to logic rather than everyday editing. It refers to truth that comes from structure alone, not from facts in the world, and it is distinct from sense 1, which is about repeated wording.

常見錯誤

❌Her excuse was tautological because everyone could see it was weak.
✅The formula was tautological because it stayed true no matter which values the symbols had.
💡In this sense, tautological refers to logical form, not to something obvious.
❌The slogan was tautological in the logic sense because it repeated itself.
✅The slogan was tautological in sense 1 because it repeated the same meaning.
💡Repetition of wording belongs to sense 1, while this sense is about formal truth.