Elegant variation

Elegant variation is the unnecessary, and sometimes misleading, use of synonyms to denote a single thing, driven by an often false belief in the writer that simple parallel structure is , harms euphony or compositional tone, or betrays either a smallness of spirit or imagination. Problems resulting from elegant variation include problems of comprehension such as loss of clarity, or misleading or muddled metaphor; and problems of style such as inadvertent humor, breezy sophomoric affectation, or distracting eccentricity.

Henry Watson Fowler (1858–1933) coined the name elegant variation for this phenomenon. In his Dictionary of Modern English Usage (first edition, 1926), Fowler wrote:

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.... There are few literary faults so widely prevalent, & this book will not have been written in vain if the present article should heal any sufferer of his infirmity.

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. The advice has its uses; it reminds any who may be in danger of forgetting it that there are such things as pronouns, the substitution of which relieves monotony;... It also gives a useful warning that a noticeable word used once should not be used again in the neighborhood with a different application.

Elegant variation may be seen in journalism if word variation, such as the replacement of the word "fire" with "blaze" or "conflagration", draws attention to itself. It is considered particularly problematic in legal writing, scientific writing, and other technical writing, where the avoidance of ambiguity is essential. Alternatives to synonymy include repetition and the use of pro-forms.

...
Wikipedia