PLEONASM

views updated Jun 08 2018

PLEONASM. A traditional term for the use of more words than necessary, either for effect or more usually as a fault of style, and any instance of that use, as in: They both got one each rather than They both got one or They got one each; That's a more superior product (superior already denotes ‘more’); It's a really new innovation (an innovation is already new). Some common pleonasms attract little comment, such as free gift (gifts are by definition free). Many famous writers have been pleonastic, including Shakespeare's double superlative ‘The most unkindest cut of all’ (Julius Caesar). See CIRCUMLOCUTION, PERIPHRASIS, REDUNDANCY, TAUTOLOGY.

pleonasm

views updated May 14 2018

ple·o·nasm / ˈplēəˌnazəm/ • n. the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning (e.g., see with one's eyes), either as a fault of style or for emphasis.DERIVATIVES: ple·o·nas·tic / ˌplēəˈnastik/ adj.ple·o·nas·ti·cal·ly / ˌplēəˈnastik(ə)lē/ adv.

pleonasm

views updated May 23 2018

pleonasm (rhet.) redundancy of expression. XVII (in L. form XVI). — late L. pleonasmus — Gr. pleonasmós, f. pleonázein be superfluous, f. pléon more, compar. of polú much.
So pleonastic XVII.