superfluous
adjective
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
Examples of superfluous in a Sentence
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
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
But whether the Knicks consider Randle superfluous, indispensable or somewhere between, a bloated extension could be detrimental to their long-term financials and thus their ability to field a consistent contender.
—Fred Katz, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
If that were true, the Electoral College would be superfluous.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Both houses are renowned for their uncompromising attention to detail and their unified aversion to the superfluous.
—Richard Mille Contributor, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for superfluous 
Dictionary Entries Near superfluous
Cite this Entry
“Superfluous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superfluous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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superfluous
adjective
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
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