redundant

adjective

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re·dun·dant | \ ri-ˈdən-dənt

Definition of redundant

1a : exceeding what is necessary or normal : superfluous

b : characterized by or containing an excess specifically : using more words than necessary

c : characterized by similarity or repetition a group of particularly redundant brick buildings

d chiefly British : no longer needed for a job and hence laid off

2 : profuse, lavish

3 : serving as a duplicate for preventing failure of an entire system (such as a spacecraft) upon failure of a single component

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Examples of redundant in a Sentence

The drone had originally been designed to go places the Blackbird could not, but it had become redundant on discovery of the fact that there was nowhere the SR-71 could not go in safety … — Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, 1989 Undoubtedly in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a witness to an occurrence is someone who has seen it. Therefore, some editors have said, eyewitness is a redundant word and it should be consigned to the dustbin. — Theodore M. Bernstein, Mrs. Thistlebottom's Hobgoblins, 1971 There they sat, grounded upon the ground, silent, uncomplaining, with bowed heads, a pathetic sight. And by hideous contrast, a redundant orator was making a speech to another gathering not thirty steps away … — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889 He edited the paper and removed any redundant information or statements. Avoid redundant expressions in your writing. Some people say that since all adages are old, the phrase “old adage” is redundant.

Recent Examples on the Web Experts have told me that Tesla vehicles lack both the sensors and the redundant control systems required for fully driverless operation to be safe. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Electric car startup Lucid is challenging Tesla’s anti-lidar stance," 1 Aug. 2020 Each of four spools of elevator cables is fitted with brakes, and there are redundant brake systems on the cars and the walls of the shaft. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Tower of Terror Doesn't Kill You," 29 June 2020 Newcastle’s neoclassical Theatre Royal is making half of its 100 permanent staff redundant; most of the rest will be put on retainers. — The Economist, "Paying for the arts A bailout for Britain’s theatres," 11 July 2020 News organizations that once thrived on market competition—sometimes to redundant effect—have found power in partnering with each other for both the work of investigative reporting and the distribution of the results. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "The National Emergency at Your Doorstep," 11 July 2020 The Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco wrote in a letter to legislators that the ordinance was redundant given state guidelines, and that office owners can’t afford the additional cleaning. — Anna Kramer, SFChronicle.com, "SF has nation’s strictest hotel and office cleaning rules. Not everyone’s happy," 11 July 2020 This demand is being seen the most in the retail e-commerce space, where even the existing professionals will need to re-skill to avoid becoming redundant. — Sankar Bora, Quartz India, "The new normal has opened up new job roles in the Indian e-commerce industry," 2 July 2020 The more redundant your contacts, the less likely that the infection will spread outside or into your group. — USA Today, "Why social bubbles work to curb viruses and protect the population," 2 July 2020 But with Triso fuel, these safety features are redundant, since each particle is effectively wrapped in a control rod. — Daniel Oberhaus, Wired, "Nuclear ‘Power Balls’ May Make Meltdowns a Thing of the Past," 30 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'redundant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Redundant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redundant. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for redundant

redundant

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of redundant

: repeating something else and therefore unnecessary

technical —used to describe part of 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

British : dismissed from a job because you are no longer needed

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

redundant

adjective

re·dun·dant | \ ri-ˈdən-dənt