Superflous Meaning and Definition
Superflous
Pronunciation
/sʊpərˈfluːs/
Part of Speech
Adjective
Definition
Excessive or unnecessary in quantity, quality, or degree; having no function, significance, or practical use.
Etymology
From Latin superfluus, superfluous, from super (over) + fluere (to flow), meaning “exceeding the necessary flow”, as in excessive or abundant.
Usage Notes
Superflous is often used to describe something that is not necessary or is more than what is needed. It can also imply a sense of waste or inefficiency. For example, “The company spent superflous resources on the project without delivering any tangible results.”.
Cultural References
In popular culture, the term superflous is often used in literature, film, and music to describe something that is unnecessary or excessive. For example, in the novel “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, the term is used to describe the excesses of modern society.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
- At one’s fingertips
- To excess
- No more than enough
Related Words or Phrases
- Excess
- Extraneous
- Superfluous
Collocations
- superflous materials
- superflous energy
- superflous decorations
Frequency of Use
According to data from the Oxford English Corpus, the frequency of the word superflous has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, indicating its continued relevance in modern language.
Common Misspellings
- Superfluous
- Superflalus