Definition of redundancy
redundancies
1a : the quality or state of being redundant : superfluityb : the use of redundant components; also : such componentsc chiefly British : dismissal from a job especially by layoff
3a : superfluous repetition : prolixityb : an act or instance of needless repetition
4 : the part of a message that can be eliminated without loss of essential information
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Examples of redundancy in a Sentence
Avoid redundancy in your writing.
Try to avoid using redundancies in your writing.
The design incorporates several redundancies.
a system with a high level of redundancy
The restructuring is expected to result in the redundancy of several hundred workers.
The workers are now facing redundancy.
Recent Examples of redundancy from the Web
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But flow reversal capitalizes on the amazing redundancy of the brain’s blood supply.
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Given the redundancy built into the brain, about a third of motor neurons are destroyed before signs of muscle loss become apparent.
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After the recent outages, outside experts have questioned whether airlines have enough redundancy in their huge, complex IT systems and test them frequently enough.
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The backup MDM is functioning properly and the astronauts are in no immediate danger, but until the new system is installed there will be no redundancy for a number of computer control systems on board the station.
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If all that stands between a writer’s job and redundancy is a few adjectives, well, that’s plain scary.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'redundancy'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Redundancy, closely related to redound, has stayed close to the original meaning of "overflow" or "more than necessary". Avoiding redundancy is one of the prime rules of good writing. ""In the modern world of today" contains a redundancy; so does "He died of fatal wounds" and "For the mutual benefit of both parties". But redundancy doesn't just occur in language. "Data redundancy" means keeping the same computer data in more than one place as a safety measure, and a backup system in an airplane may provide redundancy, again for the sake of safety.
First Known Use of redundancy
1601
REDUNDANCY Defined for English Language Learners
redundancy
playDefinition of redundancy for English Language Learners
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: the act of using a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary
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: a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary : a redundant word, phrase, etc.
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: a part in a machine, system, etc., that has the same function as another part and that exists so that the entire machine, system, etc., will not fail if the main part fails
Learn More about redundancy
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for redundancy Spanish Central: Translation of redundancy Nglish: Translation of redundancy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of redundancy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about redundancy
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