redundancy

noun

re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce redundancy (audio)
plural redundancies
1
a
: 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
3
a
: 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

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web The human element came in directing the AI on identifying redundancies in agreements, what language Orangetheory needed in its legal templates, and checking the AI’s results. Bytrey Williams, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023 The extra power could allow the spacecraft to use cheaper electronics with more redundancy, Elvis said. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023 The Sox already started reshaping their roster with the trade of Kiké Hernández to the Dodgers, a move prompted by roster redundancies and the veteran’s subpar play. Varun Shankar, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023 Administrator PwC said the retailer’s stores would continue to trade without any immediate redundancies as talks with interested parties continue. Reuters, CNN, 10 Aug. 2023 The redundancies will start no earlier than late 2024, Ermotti said at a Zurich press conference. Harold Maass, The Week, 31 Aug. 2023 Council members noted that there may be some overlap and redundancies in funding requests. Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 But without any redundancy in its design, the crack was catastrophic. Colin Dickey, Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2023 Even after the fiber-optic line is repaired, the Northwest Arctic Borough wants to keep using Starlink to ensure there is internet redundancy and reliability, Mathiasson said. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'redundancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of redundancy was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near redundancy

Cite this Entry

“Redundancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redundancy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

redundancy

noun
re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən-sē How to pronounce redundancy (audio)
plural redundancies
1
: the quality or state of being redundant
2
a
: the use of unnecessary words
b
: an act or instance of needless repetition

More from Merriam-Webster on redundancy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!