Word of the Day

: February 23, 2009

pleonasm

noun PLEE-uh-naz-um

What It Means

1 : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : redundancy

2 : an instance or example of pleonasm

pleonasm in Context

"One pleonasm that bugs me is 'free gift,'" said Donna. "After all, how can anything be a gift if it isn't free?"

Did You Know?

"Pleonasm," which stems via Late Latin from the Greek verb "pleonazein" ("to be excessive"), is a fancy word for "redundancy." It's related to our words "plus" and "plenty," and ultimately it goes back to the Greek word for "more," which is "pleōn." Pleonasm is commonly considered a fault of style, but it can also serve a useful function. "Extra" words can sometimes be helpful to a speaker or writer in getting a message across, adding emphasis, or simply adding an appealing sound and rhythm to a phrase -- as, for example, with the pleonasm "I saw it with my own eyes!"