redundancy

noun

re·dun·dan·cy | \ ri-ˈdən-dən(t)-sē

plural redundancies

Definition of redundancy

1a : the quality or state of being redundant : superfluity

b : the use of redundant components also : such components

c chiefly British : dismissal from a job especially by layoff

2 : profusion, abundance

3a : superfluous repetition : prolixity

b : an act or instance of needless repetition

4 : the part of a message that can be eliminated without loss of essential information

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about redundancy

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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.

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 on the Web

Under the leadership of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi, the Dodgers strive to fortify their roster with enough redundancy to handle the absence of almost any individual. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "With Clayton Kershaw sidelined, Dodgers' depth will be tested yet again," 7 May 2018 Much of the city’s efforts in the years afterward focused on adding redundancy and in making pipes quake resistant. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Japan's 1995 earthquake offers disaster lessons for today," 3 Feb. 2018 Factor in the redundancies the Celtics have with Terry Rozier and Kyrie Irving in the backcourt and Jayson Tatum, Gordon Heyward and Jaylen Brown on the wing, and no team can beat the kind of offer that Danny Ainge can make. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "Kawhi Leonard trade sweepstakes may get too steep for Sixers if Lakers, Celtics make best offers | David Murphy," 28 June 2018 The redundancies and flaws that teams grow to live with suddenly become solvable. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "The LeBron James Experiment: Considering NBA Free Agency Scenarios for The King," 27 June 2018 The armor and redundancy has allowed pilots to safely return with big-time battle damage, like in 2003 when Capt. — Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, "Why the A-10 Warthog Is Such a Badass Plane," 19 Nov. 2016 There is some redundancy in what a player like Ball can offer now that the Lakers have LeBron—passing, rebounding from a perimeter position, playing off-ball as a lob threat. — Chris Gayomali, GQ, "The Upside of the Lakers," 2 July 2018 The proposal is the result of a presidential order signed by Trump in March 2017 calling for a review of the federal government aimed at identifying redundancies and streamlining agencies. — Andrew O'reilly, Fox News, "White House plans merging of education and labor departments: OMB report," 22 June 2018 The hardware, for instance, is duplicated for redundancy, using huge, low-efficiency cables. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "Four Reasons We Don’t Have Flying Cars—Yet," 15 June 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near redundancy

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Last Updated

5 Sep 2018

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Time Traveler for redundancy

The first known use of redundancy was in 1601

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More Definitions for redundancy

redundancy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of redundancy

: the act of using a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary

: a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary : a redundant word, phrase, etc.

: 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

See the full definition for redundancy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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