Clarity & Style
Redundancy (Pleonasm)
Remove needless repetition that adds no meaning.
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What it is
The unnecessary repetition of meaning through multiple words or phrases that say the same thing. While some repetition aids comprehension, redundancy wastes time and weakens impact. Eliminating pleonasm makes communication more concise and professional.
Before & after
Before
“Redundant: "We need to completely finish the final end result of the project by the deadline date."”
After
“Concise: "We need to complete the project by the deadline."”
When you’ll use it
Time references: "10 AM in the morning" → "10 AM" (morning is implied)
Meeting language: "End result" → "result" (results are inherently final)
Project descriptions: "New innovation" → "innovation" (innovations are inherently new)
Status updates: "Past history" → "history" (history is always past)
Pro tip
Say it once, with the word that carries the meaning.
Questions & answers
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