Tautology Examples

Tautology is commonly known as an unnecessary or unessential (and sometimes unintentional) repetition of meaning, using different words that effectively convey the same message. As a tautological expression, we can say that tautology is reiterating the same thing using an entirely different set of words. However, tautology also refers to a statement that is necessarily true or a formula that is true under all conditions. In general, the incidence of tautology is a device that is used to add weightage, to call attention to a component of the spoken or written word, or as a means of attracting attention for the remarks that are to follow. While the repetition of words in a single sentence was especially common in 19th century English, examples of tautological expressions can still be found in just about every language and culture. It is not considered to be a fallacy; in fact, the tautology effect was prominently used by poets to highlight a message. This article is an attempt to provide the readers a wisdom archive on tautology.

Examples of Tautology

“It was a free gift.” We all know that gifts are always free. However, the idea here is to emphasize the fact that the thing is absolutely free of cost. You will find many tautology examples in literature generally placed to stress the importance of a word or phrase. Here are some simple yet funny examples of tautological expressions:

Fountain pen was an absolutely new invention at that time.
All crows are either black, or they are not black.
In this day and age, it is hard to find people who are trustworthy.
She has decided to lead her remaining life in lonely isolation.
In conjunction with acronym like, ‘my PIN number’
ATM machine
UPC code
HIV virus
The credit of this project goes to your helpful assistance.
The reason why I said this was….
The reason is because….
We need to plan ahead for the Christmas events.
The staff received an added bonus this festival.
It’s not wise to over-exaggerate your misfortunes.
Here’s a short summary of the chapter.
You can't shame or humiliate modern celebrities.
The fodder is adequate enough for the cattle.
I got up at 4 AM in the morning.
Hence, the organization expects joint cooperation from all its members.
The jury observed the performance from close proximity.
Trekkers climbed up to the very summit at the top of the mountain.
I’ve prepared this with my own hands, especially for you.
There was a tiny little speck on the wall.
My husband likes to watch suspense thrillers.
They arrived one after the other in succession.
This brand of herb lemon thyme has an "aromatic aroma".
We ordered a Chai Tea at Starbucks. (Chai is the Hindi word for tea, so if you ask for chai tea, you are asking for tea tea)
A vast majority of people were infected by the disease.
That is indeed a sad misfortune.
I need some cheese quesadilla for this recipe. (Queso means cheese, so when you ask for a cheese quesadilla you are asking for a cheese cheese-thing)
I saw it with my own eyes.

These were a few examples of tautological expressions. We use them in our day to day conversation without ever realizing that we are reiterating the message already conveyed. Isn’t this one of those interesting facets of languages that give them their knack?

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