Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Being beyond what is required or sufficient.
from The Century Dictionary.
- More than is wanted or sufficient; unnecessary from being in excess of what is needed; excessive; redundant; needless: as, a composition abounding with superfluous words.
- Supplied with superfluities; having somewhat beyond necessaries.
- Doing more than what is called for; supererogatory.
- Excessive.
- In music, of intervals, augmented.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective More than is wanted or is sufficient; rendered unnecessary by superabundance; unnecessary; useless; excessive.
- adjective (Mus.) an interval that exceeds a major or perfect interval by a semitone.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective In
excess of what is required or sufficient.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
- adjective more than is needed, desired, or required
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I think a good deal of what you call superfluous condolence would come under the head of superfluous criticism.
Friends in Council — First Series Arthur Helps 1844
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But an interpretation of the Necessary and Proper Clause that gives Congress virtually unlimited power and renders most of the rest of Article I superfluous is surely “improper” if anything is.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Charles Fried on the Constitutionality of the Health Care Mandate 2010
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Those who are not bored are merely lost in superfluous activity: fashion, lifestyle, TV, drink, drugs, technology, et cetera – the usual things we use to pass the time.
Not the Booker prize: The Canal by Lee Rourke Sam Jordison 2010
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"Not really an option" is your position, meaning a discussion of historical evidence is "superfluous from a scriptural perspective".
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God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. '
Mike Green: Innovation Crisis in Black America Pt. 4: 20th vs 21st century ideology Mike Green 2010
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If he wishes to assert a dual common source (both God and Q) then that's his prerogative but I would cite this as superfluous from a scriptural perspective.
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God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. '
Mike Green: Innovation Crisis in Black America Pt. 4: 20th vs 21st century ideology Mike Green 2010
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But an interpretation of the Necessary and Proper Clause that gives Congress virtually unlimited power and renders most of the rest of Article I superfluous is surely “improper” if anything is.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Charles Fried on the Constitutionality of the Health Care Mandate 2010
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God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. '
Mike Green: Innovation Crisis in Black America Pt. 4: 20th vs 21st century ideology Mike Green 2010
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Who better to be your writing inspiration than the man who can bring out the super in superfluous?
gcastro commented on the word superfluous
•It seems superfluous to mention it, but don't go swimming if you've been drinking alcohol.
www.dictionary.com
October 1, 2010
jmjarmstrong commented on the word superfluous
JM reckons a second chimney is superfluous.
June 19, 2011
wanderingstan commented on the word superfluous
I was trying to figure the meaning of the German word "überflüssig", which I knew had to be some combination of "super" (über) and "fluid-like" (flüssig). Super-fluid, superfluous!
November 2, 2011
mohitanand commented on the word superfluous
serving no useful purpose
How can we hope to stay open if we don't eliminate all superfluous spending, like catered meetings and free acupuncture Tuesday?
adjective: more than is needed, desired, or required
The third paragraph in your essay is superfluous and can be deleted.
October 12, 2016