Pleonasm

Pleonasm is the use of more words or parts of speech than are necessary to convey meaning. In linguistics it denotes redundancy at the level of vocabulary or syntax. Pleonasm can arise from habitual expression, translation from another language, or the aim to emphasize a point. While often a sign of sloppy editing, it can also function as a deliberate stylistic device in rhetoric, poetry, or everyday speech.

Pleonasm is distinct from tautology and simple redundancy. Tautology repeats the same idea in different words; pleonasm adds words that do not change the proposition, but may enrich emphasis, rhythm, or clarity. Some pleonastic expressions are conventionalized (free gift, past history, end result), while others involve intensifiers (my own, exactly the same).

Common examples include free gift, close proximity, ATM machine, PIN number, and future plans. Some, like each and every, are idiomatic intensifiers. In many contexts, redundancy survives because it signals emphasis, precision, or inclusivity, or because it has become part of a fixed expression. In formal writing, pleonasm is usually avoided, but it can be purposeful in stylistic or rhetorical contexts.

Across languages, pleonasm is widespread as idiom or habitual usage. Style guides typically discourage it in formal prose, while writers may employ it for cadence or emphasis. Understanding pleonasm helps distinguish what content is new from what is a stylistic or emphatic choice.