extraneousness

noun

Definition of extraneousnessnext
as in irrelevance
the quality or state of not having anything to do with the matter at hand the extraneousness of the commentators' remarks became more pronounced as the broadcast dragged on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extraneousness
  1. irrelevance
  2. inapplicability
Noun
  • Schiano rescued the program from irrelevance, but modest respectability might be all Rutgers can afford this season — if that.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In a world that promises to be defined by AI, universities that fail to produce graduates who can use it productively will consign themselves to irrelevance.
    — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of irrelevance
Noun
  • Defendants rely on cases that, ironically, only confirm the inapplicability of the § 1252(f)(1) bar here.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of inapplicability
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.

Browse Nearby Words

extraneously
extraneousness
extraordinaire
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extraneousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extraneousness. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of patina

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All