pleonasm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Note he won’t shout loudly – that’s known as a pleonasm, when more words than necessary are used.

From The Guardian • Apr. 29, 2019

The phrase 'think for one's self' is a pleonasm.

From Time Magazine Archive

Polylogy†, tautology, battology†, perissology†; pleonasm, exuberance, redundancy; thrice-told tale; prolixity; circumlocution, ambages†; periphrase†, periphrasis; roundabout phrases; episode; expletive; pennya-lining; richness &c.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

These are instances of pleonasm in the strictest sense of the term.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

If we say that it is the science of the spirit, we indulge in a useless pleonasm.

From The Reform of Education by Gentile, Giovanni