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word of the day

The word for today is…

pleonasm (noun) – 1. (a) The use of more words than are required to express an idea; redundancy.
(b) An instance of pleonasm.
2. A superfluous word or phrase.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : Pleonasm, which stems (via Late Latin) from the Greek verb pleonazein, meaning “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 ple?n. 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!”

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