Distinction without a difference
Encyclopedia
A distinction without a difference is a type of argument where one word or phrase
is preferred to another, but results in no difference to the argument as a whole. It is particularly used when a word or phrase has connotation
s associated with it that one party to an argument prefers to avoid.
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
is preferred to another, but results in no difference to the argument as a whole. It is particularly used when a word or phrase has connotation
Connotation
A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation....
s associated with it that one party to an argument prefers to avoid.