Dear Geist,

which is defined as “= repetitious.” Why do we have two words that are so similar and mean exactly the same thing?

Dear Wondering,

edition, 1998) says much the same thing and reminds us that in the late 1800s, there were four—count ’em, four! —similar words in use: repetitive and repetitious, and also repetitional and repetitionary. Yikes!