WORD OF THE DAY: Pleonasm
[PLEE-ə-naz-əm]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, mid-16th century
Definition: 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.
Examples of Pleonasm in a sentence
“I enjoyed the book despite the author’s tendency toward pleonasm.”
“Karen edited her papers carefully to cut out all pleonasm.”
About Pleonasm
Pleonasm originated in Greek by way of Latin — specifically from the Greek words “pleonasmos” and “pleonazein,” which mean to “be superfluous.”
Did you Know?
Pleonasm can be described by a more flowery term: purple prose. Purple prose is extravagant writing that uses more words than necessary to convey meaning. Sometimes intentionally, it often calls attention to the writing style rather than the topic at hand.
