Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Charles Reade (1814–1884), novelist and playwright. From ancient Greek πλεονάζειν to be superfluous or redundant + -ast.
Definition of pleonast in US English:
pleonast
nounˈpliːənast
rare
A person who uses pleonasm.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Charles Reade (1814–1884), novelist and playwright. From ancient Greek πλεονάζειν to be superfluous or redundant + -ast.