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Definition of "pleonasm" [ple•o•nasm]

  • The use of more words than are required to express an idea; redundancy. (noun)
  • An instance of pleonasm. (noun)
  • A superfluous word or phrase. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "pleonasm" in a sentence
  • "The term pleonasm is a bit different, as it focuses on the concept of superfluity rather than repetition - words that are unnecessary."
  • "The pro-mufsidun Left and the media (if I may indulge in pleonasm) have constructed a “narrative” of the War on Terror, “narrative” having become the progressive antonym of “fact”."
  • "A pleonasm is a redundant expression in speaking or writing."