surplusage

noun

sur·​plus·​age ˈsər-(ˌ)plə-sij 

1

: surplus sense 1a

2

a

: excessive or nonessential matter

b

: matter introduced in legal pleading which is not necessary or relevant to the case

Synonyms

• surplus
• excess

Examples of surplusage in a Sentence

a mall with a surplusage of stores all selling the same lines of clothing

Recent Examples on the Web

In everyday speech, in legal texts and even in translations of Genesis, one person’s surplusage may be another person’s way of dealing with inevitable trade-offs between clarity and concision. —Sam Bray, Washington Post, 25 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

surplusage

noun

sur·​plus·​age ˈsər-ˌplə-sij 

: excessive or nonessential matter

especially : matter contained in a pleading that is unnecessary or irrelevant