elegant variation en · NOUN
Etymology
Introduced by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler in The King's English (1906).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The use of synonyms to avoid repetition (regarded as a stylistic fault when done excessively).
A closely related rule for encoding legal texts is the same meaning, same form principle. We saw previously that this rule requires lawyers to avoid elegant variation. Instead, they should consistently use one word if they mean the same thing.
1999, Peter M. Tiersma, Legal Language, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 131:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| elegant variations | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
monologophobia · synonymomania
Synonyms
wikipedia: H. W. Fowler · wikipedia: Francis George Fowler · wikipedia: The King's English