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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ple·o·nasm

Audio Help [plee-uh-naz-uh

m] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy.

2.	an instance of this, as free gift or true fact.

3.	a redundant word or expression.

[Origin: 1580–90; < LL pleonasmus < Gk pleonasmós redundancy, surplus, deriv. of pleonázein to be or have more than enough, itself deriv. of pleíōn more (see pleo-)

]

—Related forms

ple·o·nas·tic, adjective

ple·o·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
pleonasm

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ple·o·nasm Audio Help (plē'ə-nāz'əm) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. The use of more words than are required to express an idea; redundancy.
2. An instance of pleonasm.
A superfluous word or phrase.

[Late Latin pleonasmus, from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein, to be excessive, from pleōn, more; see pelə-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

ple'o·nas'tic (-nās'tĭk) adj., ple'o·nas'ti·cal·ly adv.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pleonasm

"redundancy in words," 1586, from L.L. pleonasmus, from Gk. pleonasmos, from pleonasein "to be more than enough," from pleon "more," comp. of polys "much," from PIE *ple- (see poly-).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

pleonasm
noun
using more words than necessary; "a tiny little child"

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

pleonasm
Redundancy of expression; tautology.
(1995-03-25)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pleonasm

Ple"o*nasm\,, n. [L. pleonasmus, Gr. ?, fr. ? to be more than enough, to abound, fr.?, neut. of ?, more, compar. of ? much. See Full, a., and cf. Poly-, Plus.] (Rhet.) 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.

Dictionary.com Word of the Day Archive - Cite This Source - Share This

pleonasm

pleonasm was Word of the Day on January 8, 2002.

Dictionary.com Word of the Day

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