Pleonasms or Tautological Redundancies

(avoid redundancies or excessive repetitiousness by not using unnecessary repetitions and superfluous words or more word usages than is needed, desired, or required)

The use of pleonasms results in a superfluity of words, sometimes deliberately, for emphasis; or the unnecessary repetitions resulting from a lack of the realization that such terms are redundant.

A tautological statement, sentence, etc. repeats its meaning in an unnecessary or excessive way by using different words to say the same thing.

* The pleonasms followed by an asterisk (*) came from an essay, "The Affluent Rich"; by Nat Boynton in his book, Media Rare. My special thanks to Mr. Jerry Gordon for contributing a copy of the essay so I could go through it and pick out the "UR's" (Unnecessary Redundancies) or pleonasms.

Please contribute any pleonasms you may come across from any of the media and let's make this list even more significant as it expands. You may send your suggestion, or suggestions, to e-mail contact or use this e-mail address: [email protected]

a cappella choral singing without any musical-instrumental
A known carcinogen suspected of causing cancer
As seen in a report on WHIO Television following a 1986 train wreck in Ohio. The wreck spilled thousands of gallons of Xylene, a known carcinogen.
ABM missile
Anti Ballistic Missile missile
ABS system
Anti-lock Braking System system
absolutely essential
absolutely necessary
AC current
Alternating Current current
ACT test
American College Test test, a college-entrance examination
active weather
From a Canadian contributor.
add an additional
add up
added bonus
advance forward
advance planning
advance preview

Also see the unit of pleio-, plio- words meaning, "more, most; excessive; multiple".