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Definition of tautology


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tau·tol·o·gy  audio  (tô-tl-j) KEY  

NOUN:
pl. tau·tol·o·gies
    1. Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.
    2. An instance of such repetition.
  1. Logic An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.

ETYMOLOGY:
Late Latin tautologia, from Greek tautologi, from tautologos, redundant : tauto-, tauto- + logos, saying ; see -logy

OTHER FORMS:
tauto·logi·cal   (tôtl-j-kl) KEY   or tauto·logic   (-k) KEY  (Adjective), tauto·logi·cal·ly (Adverb)


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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