redundant
adjCA, UK, US /ɹɪˈdʌn.dənt/ · AU /ɹɪˈdɐn.dənt/
Etymology From Latin redundāns, present participle of redundō (“to overflow, redound”), from red- (“again, back”) + undō (“to surge, flood”), from unda (“a wave”).
Superfluous; exceeding what is necessary, no longer needed.
- It is allowed, that Senates and great Councils are often troubled with redundant, ebullient, and other peccant Humours, with many Diſeaſes of the Head and more of the Heart; […]1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Further Account of the Academy. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 82:
- In the living state, the body is observed to receive aliment; to assimilate a part; to evacuate what is redundant or useless; […]1822, John Barclay, chapter I, in An Inquiry Into the Opinions, Ancient and Modern, Concerning Life and Organization, Edinburgh; London: Bell & Bradfute; Waugh & Innes; G. & W. B. Whittaker, section I, page 1:
2 more examples
- A key driver has been the approval of a new housing and employment development called Fawley Waterside, with 1,500 homes planned on the site of a redundant power station on the edge of Southampton Water.2020 December 16, “Network News: "Robust case" for Fawley branch reopening”, in Rail, page 14:
- Two entrants shared this award for their work on two quite different stations, but with the same purpose of bringing a redundant station building back into use for the benefit of the community, with the added result of conserving an historic building.2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Network Rail Community Award: Saltash and Stow”, in RAIL, number 946, page 58:
Communications, Journalism, Literature, Media, Publishing, Writing Of words Repetitive or needlessly wordy.
Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK Dismissed from employment because no longer needed.
- Joyce Barnaby: You don't kill someone because they made you redundant. DCI Tom Barnaby: Not in the town, dear, but this is the country. And, in the country, anything goes.1999 September 12, Anthony Horowitz & al., "Dead Man's Eleven", Midsomer Murders
- Four employees were made redundant.
Duplicating or able to duplicate the function of another component of a system, providing backup in the event the other component fails.
- The two lines are mainly used for redundant and therefore fault-tolerant message transmission, but they can also transmit different messages.2013, Tom Denton, Automobile Electrical and Electronic Systems, page 142:
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Networking, Physical sciences, Sciences Of topology Containing duplicate pathways to send a message.
- Synonyms
38 terms
acervatim, adscititious, dropsical, duplicate, excessive, exorbitant, expletive, extra, extraneous, extravagant, gash, gorged, inessential, inordinate, lavish, needless, nonessential, overflowing, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, prodigal, profuse, repetitive, replete, spare, superabundant, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, supersaturated, supervacaneous, surplus, surplusage, too many, too much, unnecessary, verbose- Antonyms
- non-redundant, inadequate, lacking, needed
- Derived terms
- georedundant, irredundant, nonredundant, redundant acronym syndrome, redundantant, redundant array of independent disks, redundant biomass, redundant colon, redundantly, redundundant, reredundant, semiredundant
- Related terms
- redound, redundance, redundancy, drenched, expendable, turgid
- Meronyms
- uncalled-for, unneeded