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GRE vocabulary

superfluous

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore S words

more than is needed; unnecessary

Word origin: From Latin superfluus, overflowing.

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In a sentence

Superfluous in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing superfluous in a sentence.

The editor cut every superfluous word from the draft.

The editor struck every superfluous adjective until each sentence carried only what it needed.

Synonyms
excessiveredundantsurplus
Antonyms
essentialnecessary

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Verbal · Text Completion

Critics initially dismissed the composer's late works as merely blank, but later scholars recognized in them a deliberate restraint that concealed considerable technical sophistication.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “superfluous” well

Superfluous means more than is needed, hence unnecessary or redundant. It points to excess beyond requirement, not to something merely useless.

Common questions

Questions about “superfluous”

Superfluous (adjective) means more than is needed; unnecessary
Here is superfluous used in an example sentence: "The editor cut every superfluous word from the draft." Another example: "The editor struck every superfluous adjective until each sentence carried only what it needed."
Common synonyms for superfluous include excessive, redundant, surplus.
Antonyms of superfluous include essential, necessary.
Clusters with excessive, redundant, and surplus in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms essential and necessary mark the opposite, indispensable pole.
Yes. Superfluous is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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