redundancy
/rɪˈdʌn.dən.si/ IELTSAcademic
noun
The state of having more than what is needed, or the extra part itself. It can also mean a job loss because a company no longer needs that worker.
- We removed the redundancy from the report.
- He was made redundant after the merger.
Adinary Nuance
Redundancy is not always a bad thing. It can mean extra words or extra systems that are not strictly needed. It is different from uselessness: something redundant may still be kept for safety or emphasis. In British English, it also means job loss because a role is no longer needed.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- sự thừa
- Spanish
- redundancia
- Chinese
- 冗余
- Japanese
- 冗長
- Korean
- 중복
Etymology
From Late Latin redundantia, from Latin redundare meaning “to overflow.” It entered English in the 15th century and later gained the job-loss meaning in British English.
Common phrases
redundancy in speechmake someone redundantbuilt-in redundancyeliminate redundancy
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is redundancy a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in academic, business, and official English.
- What is the difference between redundancy and repetition?
- Repetition means saying or doing something again. Redundancy means extra parts that are not needed.
- Does redundancy only mean job loss?
- No. It can also mean extra words, extra details, or backup systems.
- Is redundancy used in British English?
- Yes. The job-loss meaning is especially common in British English.