sur·plus
ˈsər-(ˌ)pləs 
1
a
: the amount that remains when use or need is satisfied
b
: an excess of receipts over disbursements
2
: the excess of a corporation's net worth over the par or stated value of its stock
: more than the amount that is needed : constituting a surplus
surplus food/clothing/equipment
When the sea captains returned, they would sell their surplus wares on the wharves.—
Carol Vogel
Carol VogelLong before the comparable worth battles of today, the economic value of women's work was evident to farm women who set prices for the surplus butter, candles, soap, honey, preserves, chickens, and eggs they raised or manufactured.—Mary Kay Blakely
Mary Kay Blakely
Synonyms
Examples of surplus in a Sentence
Noun
If there is any surplus, it will be divided equally.
There is a surplus of workers and not enough jobs.
Recent Examples on the WebJonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Scribes and nomarchs would often cooperate to underreport numbers to the state and keep the surplus, or charge peasants more than their fair share.
—Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
And China’s surplus in goods trade has more than doubled since the pandemic, according to Brad W. Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
While cash was becoming a problem for Sinema’s potential reelection, the surpluses now for a former candidate become enviable assets.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
The discovery resulted in a surplus that the department used for presidential drawdown packages until the end of December.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Those surpluses correspond to deficits in other countries, which can be a drag on their growth.
—Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Those surpluses are in excess of 35 percent of the state’s general-fund budget, which crossed the $10 billion mark for the first time in 2024.
—Paul J. Gessing, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
At a legislative hearing last week, Victoria Roach, president of the FAIR Plan Assn., warned lawmakers that the insurer of last resort had a surplus of only $200 million and was at risk of financial instability should a catastrophic event occur.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
The government had $34 billion of surplus material at the end of the war and sold it in large lots at auctions, where would-be store owners could buy a whole shop’s worth of inventory.
—Charles W. McFarlane, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Like offers from the regulated carriers, Citizens policyholders who receive an offer from a surplus lines carrier within 20% of what Citizens charges would be required to leave Citizens.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
The San Diego County Water Authority just entered into negotiations to sell some of its surplus water to the Moulton Niguel Water District in Orange County, which would pay for supplies produced by the desalination plant in Carlsbad.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
Ultimately, none of the surplus money went to school districts.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024
Paint them a color that contrasts your bathroom walls for standout style, then fill them with surplus toilet paper or hand towels.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024
Some, like me, also make surplus orders to cover all the folks who didn't realize Girl Scout cookie season was coming.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024
The state auditors, though, said Visit Anaheim could not demonstrate how much of that money came from surplus tourism public money.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
But as lawmakers finalize their spending plan for the next fiscal year, some have cautioned that the surplus is largely due to federal pandemic aid.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Scribes and nomarchs would often cooperate to underreport numbers to the state and keep the surplus, or charge peasants more than their fair share.
—Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
And China’s surplus in goods trade has more than doubled since the pandemic, according to Brad W. Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
While cash was becoming a problem for Sinema’s potential reelection, the surpluses now for a former candidate become enviable assets.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
The discovery resulted in a surplus that the department used for presidential drawdown packages until the end of December.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Those surpluses correspond to deficits in other countries, which can be a drag on their growth.
—Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Those surpluses are in excess of 35 percent of the state’s general-fund budget, which crossed the $10 billion mark for the first time in 2024.
—Paul J. Gessing, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
At a legislative hearing last week, Victoria Roach, president of the FAIR Plan Assn., warned lawmakers that the insurer of last resort had a surplus of only $200 million and was at risk of financial instability should a catastrophic event occur.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Flooding foreign markets with surplus goods should help ease global inflation.
—David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024
The government had $34 billion of surplus material at the end of the war and sold it in large lots at auctions, where would-be store owners could buy a whole shop’s worth of inventory.
—Charles W. McFarlane, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Like offers from the regulated carriers, Citizens policyholders who receive an offer from a surplus lines carrier within 20% of what Citizens charges would be required to leave Citizens.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
The San Diego County Water Authority just entered into negotiations to sell some of its surplus water to the Moulton Niguel Water District in Orange County, which would pay for supplies produced by the desalination plant in Carlsbad.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
Ultimately, none of the surplus money went to school districts.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024
Paint them a color that contrasts your bathroom walls for standout style, then fill them with surplus toilet paper or hand towels.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024
Some, like me, also make surplus orders to cover all the folks who didn't realize Girl Scout cookie season was coming.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024
The state auditors, though, said Visit Anaheim could not demonstrate how much of that money came from surplus tourism public money.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surplus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin superplus, from Latin super- + plus more — more at plus
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1589, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of surplus was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing surplus
Dictionary Entries Near surplus
Cite this Entry
“Surplus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surplus. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
surplus
noun
sur·plus
ˈsər-(ˌ)pləs
1
: the amount more than what is required or necessary : excess
2
: an excess of income over spending
surplus
adjective
Legal Definition
surplus
noun
sur·plus
ˈsər-ˌpləs
1
a
: an amount that remains when a use or need is satisfied
b
: an excess of receipts over disbursements
c
: the value of assets after subtracting liabilities
2
: an excess of the net worth of a corporation over the par value of its capital stock compare undivided profits
—
capital surplus
: all surplus other than earned surplus
—
earned surplus
: the surplus that remains after deducting losses, distributions to stockholders, and transfers to capital stock accounts
—
paid-in surplus
: surplus resulting from the sale of stock at amounts above par
More from Merriam-Webster on surplus
Nglish: Translation of surplus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of surplus for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about surplus
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