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Superfluous

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(pronounced soo-puhr-floo-us; "oo" in first syllable pronounced as in "book" and "oo" in third syllable pronounced as in "boot")  adjective

Definition

1. being more than what is required, sufficient, or useful; excessive; extra or surplus.  2. not needed; unnecessary.

Main Example

• Many Americans are adopting a lifestyle that is simpler, less complicated, and one which will result in greater savings for their retirement years--a move that is manifested in their shifting to more modest homes, smaller TVs, fewer and less glamorous vehicles, and the like. During interviews, these Americans make statements to the effect "We took a hard, detached look at our lifestyle, and realized that several of our possessions are just plain superfluous, a sheer waste of money."

Workplace Examples

• Pat, I've just taken a look at your presentation as you requested, and I believe you can easily cut down your presentation time by several minutes. For instance, all that information about how we went about finalizing the architects for our headquarters is superfluous. I'll bet that 98% of your audience will not be interested in those details.
• Look, in his email sent out to everyone yesterday, Mike explained at length why he does not support this proposal. Putting him on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting--to have him talk some more about his views--would be a waste of everyone's time. It would be superfluous.

Other Examples

• talking about the definitions in his Words of the Month, this author saying: "While developing the definition for a featured word, I make sure it is comprehensive and helps convey an in-depth understanding of the word. As a consequence, several of my definitions are a bit expansive and I wouldn't be at all surprised if many readers view parts of some definitions to be superfluous."
• a manager telling his employee, who is preparing a crucial email that is to be broadcast throughout the company, to "delete the superfluous words and sentences and make it more concise"
• some Americans who are calling for a smaller defense budget saying that several current and proposed weapons systems, naval forces, and military bases both stateside and abroad are superfluous and can be easily eliminated or shrunk
• returning from his travels in India and other Asian countries, an American saying: "I visited several families in the upper income group and was stunned by the superfluous chauffeurs and servants who sit around doing nothing."
• renowned movie critics Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott suggesting that the 3-D element in "Clash of Titans" and some other recent movies did not add to the experience and was superfluous

© 2012 V.J. Singal
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