surplus value

noun

: the difference in Marxist theory between the value of work done or of commodities produced by labor and the usually subsistence wages paid by the employer

Examples of surplus value in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mid-level free agents or late-round rookies who outperform their contracts to provide surplus value. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 There is only a 30 percent probability of Connor offering surplus value at that price; there’s even a chance Connor’s game falls off precipitously in his mid-30s. Murat Ates, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 In both cases, the purchase of labor-power is intended for production of surplus value by means of the production of commodities. Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 Not with a thoughtful plan to distribute surplus value to all of humanity but with Elon Musk purchasing the Atlantic Ocean. Reuven Perlman, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surplus value was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Surplus value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surplus%20value. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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