1
as in luxury
something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary
spends most of her money on designer clothes and other superfluities
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2
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
a superfluity of wire coat hangers from all of those trips to the dry cleaner
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Recent Examples of superfluity
The Cullinan, which went on sale in 2018 and is now in its second generation, oozes superfluity, and that's totally fine.
—
Morgan Korn, ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
The 6,500-square-foot three-story contemporary is minimalist in decor but teeming with superfluities, including an elevator, a first-floor gym, a screening room, an infrared sauna and a master-bedroom walk-in closet bigger (and tidier) than my SoHo apartment.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 29 July 2025
After which, see its superfluity yet again relative to market entities that have long and capably filled central bank functions of providing near-term liquidity to the solvent, along with regulation to ensure sound operation based on those loans.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen ...
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Not business as usual The transition team has been grappling with an agency that has a superfluity of field centers—ten spread across the United States, as well as a formal headquarters in Washington, DC—and large, slow-moving programs that cost a lot of money and have been slow to deliver results.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen, from the world at large.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Randomness emerges as the missing ingredient, the defence against superfluity, the guarantor that any person is, in fact, the only self.
—Hazlitt, 12 June 2024
Retrospectives that span so many decades usually follow a certain arc: skill-building, imitation of admired masters, the finding of a personal voice, maybe a late-in-life fascination with superfluity (think Titian’s brushstrokes or Henry James’s sentences).
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
Morgan Korn, ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
The 6,500-square-foot three-story contemporary is minimalist in decor but teeming with superfluities, including an elevator, a first-floor gym, a screening room, an infrared sauna and a master-bedroom walk-in closet bigger (and tidier) than my SoHo apartment.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 29 July 2025
After which, see its superfluity yet again relative to market entities that have long and capably filled central bank functions of providing near-term liquidity to the solvent, along with regulation to ensure sound operation based on those loans.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen ...
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Not business as usual The transition team has been grappling with an agency that has a superfluity of field centers—ten spread across the United States, as well as a formal headquarters in Washington, DC—and large, slow-moving programs that cost a lot of money and have been slow to deliver results.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen, from the world at large.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Randomness emerges as the missing ingredient, the defence against superfluity, the guarantor that any person is, in fact, the only self.
—Hazlitt, 12 June 2024
Retrospectives that span so many decades usually follow a certain arc: skill-building, imitation of admired masters, the finding of a personal voice, maybe a late-in-life fascination with superfluity (think Titian’s brushstrokes or Henry James’s sentences).
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superfluity
Noun
-
Airlines are racing to build out luxury offerings as higher-income travelers continue to spend.—
Brandon Gomez,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Dating in Austin can feel like a luxury sport.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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District officials have tentatively selected Becker, Dawson, Ridgetop, Sunset Valley, and Widén elementary schools as surplus, along with a 28-acre portion of the property around Bedichek Middle School.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The board also voted 4-3 to purchase locks for the courts, using roughly $18,000 in 2025 surplus funds.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Eco effort The Fontaine follows standard brand practices around linen reuse and energy efficiency, along with offering bulk bath amenities in the guest rooms.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Those staying at Sea Island can take advantage of the resort’s private stretch of sand and all the amenities the Sea Island Beach Club offers.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That could bear out to be true if February's losses in the major averages means enough of the AI excess has been flushed out of the stock market, meaning investors feel readier to embrace the trade.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a touch of caramel follows for a bit of confectionery warmth that feels indulgent without tipping into excess.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In a more simplistic story, Derya and Aziz’s efforts to find a good private school for their daughter would come off as a hopeless bourgeois indulgence.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
However, Catholics often choose an indulgence to abstain from such as sweets or wine in observance.—
Matthew Kayser,
Ascend Agency,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The church served as the production's first on-location set, hosting the wedding scene of Maria and Georg on April 23, 1964, with 600 locals filling the pews as extras.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
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In addition to storing a two-sided flip bit in the driver itself, the Stakeout Drive holds an extra in a storage slot on the handle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Superfluity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superfluity. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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