superfluous

adjective

su·​per·​flu·​ous su̇-ˈpər-flü-əs 

1

a

: exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra

b

: not needed : unnecessary

2

obsolete : marked by wastefulness : extravagant

superfluously adverb

superfluousness noun

Did you know?

If you think that superfluous must mean "extra 'fluous,'" along the pattern of such words as superabsorbent and superabundant, you're not far off. Superfluous comes from the Latin adjective superfluus, meaning literally "running over" or "overflowing." Superfluus, in turn, derives from the combination of the prefix super- (meaning "over" or "more") and fluere, "to flow." (Fluere also gave us fluid, fluent, and influence, among others.) Since its first appearance in English in the 15th century, superfluous has referred to an "overflowing" of some supply, as of time or words, which hearkens back to its Latin origins.

Synonyms

• excess
• extra
• redundant
• spare
• supererogatory
• supernumerary
• surplus

Examples of superfluous in a Sentence

In the Imagist model, the writer is a sculptor. Technique consists of chipping away everything superfluous in order to reveal the essential form within. "It took you ninety-seven words to do it," Pound is reported to have remarked to a young literary aspirant who had handed him a new poem. "I find it could have been managed in fifty-six." —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 9 & 16 June 2008

Oddly, despite the preponderance of superfluous words, the book has no glossary, which is a must for an introductory audience. —Dorothy Merritts, Eos, 3 Oct. 2000

Twenty years ago, baby boomers were written about as if every one of them had as a life goal making enough money to accumulate the same superfluous material objects that everyone else had. —Calvin Trillin, Time, 6 Sept. 1999

cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer

Recent Examples on the Web

The music is utterly superfluous — indeed, distracting. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 Dec. 2024

Moana 2 is not a complete disaster so much as a superfluous cash grab that has a hard time disguising its roots as a Disney+ series. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024

But that last detail is almost superfluous to what makes the sequence so exciting. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

Another completely superfluous and yet charming way to enliven someone’s desk set is to give them a proper wax sealing kit. —Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin superfluus, literally, running over, from superfluere to overflow, from super- + fluere to flow — more at fluid

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

superfluous

adjective

su·​per·​flu·​ous su̇-ˈpər-flə-wəs 

: going beyond what is enough or necessary : extra

superfluously

su̇-ˈpər-flə-wəs-lē

adverb

Etymology

Middle English superfluous "more than is needed," from Latin superfluus, literally, "running over," from superfluere "to overflow," from super- "over, in addition," and fluere "to flow" — related to fluid