| elegant variation |
| Definition: The unnecessary use of synonyms to avoid using the same word twice in a sentence or a passage. |
| Example: To be or not to exist, that is the question. |
| Etymology:
The term was coined by H. W. Fowler so that he could condemn the practice. Note: When he coined the term in the 1920s, elegant had the (since lost) pejorative connotation of "precious over-refinement." |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The term's first OED citation is from 1906: "The locking of arms is … only an elegant variation for clinging." (H. W. & F. G. Fowler King's English iii. 178) |
| Quotation:
"It is the second-rate writers, those intent rather on expressing themselves prettily than on
conveying their meaning clearly, & still more those whose notions of style are based on a few misleading rules of thumb, that are chiefly open to the allurements of elegant variation. … The fatal influence … is the advice given to young writers never to use the same word twice in a
sentence — or within 20 lines or other limit."
(Source: Fowler's Modern English Usage) |