superfluous

 
superfluous

 
adjective | soo-PER-floo-us
 
What It Means
 
Superfluous is a formal word used to describe things that exceed what is necessary or sufficient, or that are simply not needed.
 
// Further discussion seems superfluous, given the thorough conversation we just had.

superfluous
adjective
su·;per·;flu·;ous su;-;p;r-fl;-;s
Synonyms of superfluous
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Duffy's attack on California's waiver was probably superfluous—his boss already issued an executive order doing just that upon being sworn in as president earlier this month.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025
No outside superfluous distractions should be tolerated.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2025
Gone are the days of superfluous hero ball from No. 17.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
The interface is clean and straightforward, without many superfluous apps or features.
—PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of superfluous was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century