A tautology is a proposition that is true in every possible interpretation, by virtue of its logical form alone rather than any contingent fact about the world. Parameters: (1) it must be a declarative proposition with a determinate truth-value under any assignment; (2) it must be true under all possible interpretations of its variable components; (3) its truth is analytic, not synthetic — it holds by meaning and form, not by observation. A tautology does not extend knowledge; it restates what is already contained in its terms. It persists through formal logical systems, mathematical proofs, and the practice of reasoning: it is tracked in proof theory, taught as a benchmark of logical validity, and invoked to identify statements that are vacuously true. [formal: tautologia | substrate: mind | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
tautology
A tautology is a proposition that is true in every possible interpretation, by virtue of its logical form alone rather than any contingent fact about the world. Parameters: (1) it must be a declarative proposition with a determinate truth-…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A tautology is a human-made figure of speech and logical form in which the same proposition is expressed twice using different words — e.g. 'A is A,' 'the big giant monster,' or 'he arrived at the scene of the accident.' It is a construct of rhetoric and formal logic, created by humans to flag circularity, emphasis, or empty repetition. It persists through pedagogical teaching, logical analysis, and stylistic critique.
Names and aliases
- tautologyen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrtfjde400049zhnv4xb5z4fINSTANCE_OF →
Tautology (redundant restatement of the same idea in different words) IS a specific kind of figure-of-speech. A competent speaker would accept 'a tautology is a figure of speech.' Pinned sense: tautology as a rhetorical device/figure, not the logical concept.
- cmrmf7wqp001sd1nlgdko4rbiSERVES →
Tautology (redundant restatement of the same idea) is a rhetorical device whose designed purpose is to produce rhetorical effect — emphasis, persuasion, or stylistic force. Law 8d: for whose sake? Tautology serves rhetoric. The sense is clear: tautology as a rhetorical/literary figure, not as a logical error.
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Record identity
- Created
- Jul 21, 2026, 3:12 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 3a7aeaf405caf5aca45449b821d569e2050687c119ae3910230cbbe4dc246a0f