superfluous

su·per·flu·ous

adjective \su̇-ˈpər-flü-əs\

Definition of SUPERFLUOUS

1

a : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra

b : not needed : unnecessary

2

obsolete : marked by wastefulness : extravagant

— su·per·flu·ous·ly adverb

— su·per·flu·ous·ness noun

Examples of SUPERFLUOUS

1. <cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer>
2. In the Imagist model, the writer is a sculptor. Technique consists of chipping away everything superfluous in order to reveal the essential form within. “It took you ninety-seven words to do it,” Pound is reported to have remarked to a young literary aspirant who had handed him a new poem. “I find it could have been managed in fifty-six.” —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 9 & 16 June 2008
3. Oddly, despite the preponderance of superfluous words, the book has no glossary, which is a must for an introductory audience. —Dorothy Merritts, Eos, 3 Oct. 2000
4. Twenty years ago, baby boomers were written about as if every one of them had as a life goal making enough money to accumulate the same superfluous material objects that everyone else had. —Calvin Trillin, Time, 6 Sept. 1999

Origin of SUPERFLUOUS

Middle English, from Latin superfluus, literally, running over, from superfluere to overflow, from super- + fluere to flow — more at fluid

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to SUPERFLUOUS

Synonyms

excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, spare, supernumerary, surplus

Related Words

accessory, additional, supplemental, supplementary; de trop, dispensable, extraneous, gratuitous, needless, nonessential, uncalled-for, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted; abundant, ample, bountiful, copious, plenteous, plentiful

Near Antonyms

deficient, inadequate, insufficient, meager (or meagre), niggardly, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, short, shortish, skimpy, sparse