redundancy

noun

re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən(t)-sē 

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

: profusion, abundance

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.

Synonyms

• circumlocution
• diffuseness
• diffusion
• garrulity
• garrulousness
• logorrhea
• long-windedness
• periphrasis
• prolixity
• verbalism
• verbiage
• verboseness
• verbosity
• windiness
• wordage
• wordiness

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Last month, thousands of Italians joined striking workers near the carmaker’s base in the northern city of Turin in anticipation of a new round of redundancies. —Tommaso Ebhardt, Fortune Europe, 20 May 2024

There's redundancy in other crucial systems: the air data computers that generate numbers like airspeed and altitude, the hydraulic systems used to operate various parts of the plane, and the cabin pressurization systems that keep the air inside safe to breathe. —James Doubek, NPR, 15 May 2024

Long-range cruising, system redundancy for autonomy at sea, and storage to carry specialist equipment like submersibles are some of the requirements that define expedition boats. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 14 May 2024

Add to that autonomy and redundancy that so many mission-critical functions will demand, as well as high-bandwidth communications required to return data and allow streaming and connectivity for visitors. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 May 2024

The variance in flow helps the 19 tracks here from blending into one another, though the redundancy in sonic choices eventually makes the listener realize how long One of Wun is. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024

This population size and widespread distribution contribute to the resiliency and redundancy of wolves in this region. —Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 10 May 2024

Liu believes that these communities have very high levels of functional redundancy—meaning that multiple species may perform similar ecological roles and could therefore be interchangeable. —Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024

Layoffs bite back Mass redundancies have hardly been rare since the COVID-19 pandemic, as companies seek to cut costs. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 7 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

redundancy

noun

re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən-sē 

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