redundant
/rɪˈdʌn.dənt/- 1.
Something is redundant when it is not needed because it adds no new meaning — the idea is already covered. Removing it makes no difference.
- The phrase 'end result' is redundant — 'result' alone is enough.
- Remove redundant words to make your essay cleaner and clearer.
- That second paragraph is redundant; you already made this point.
- 2.
In British English, a worker is made redundant when their employer no longer needs their role, usually due to company changes. They lose the job, typically with some pay.
- Two hundred workers were made redundant when the factory closed.
- She feared being made redundant in the next round of cuts.
- He received a payment after being made redundant last year.
Adinary Nuance
Redundant is often mixed up with repetitive, unnecessary, and superfluous — but each has a distinct role. Redundant is the most precise: it means a specific word or element adds zero new meaning because the idea is already built into something nearby ("past history" — history is always past, so "past" is redundant). Repetitive is different — it means something is said or done too many times, not that a single instance adds nothing. Unnecessary is broader and vaguer: it just means "not needed," for any reason, while redundant always implies duplication of meaning. Superfluous is the most formal and literary of the group — you'd see it in academic essays, but native speakers rarely use it in conversation, whereas redundant works comfortably in both spoken and written English.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- dư thừa
- Spanish
- redundante
- Chinese
- 多余
- Japanese
- 冗長
- Korean
- 중복
Etymology
From Latin "redundantem," the present participle of "redundare," meaning "to overflow or be in excess," built from "re-" (again) and "undare" (to surge like a wave). It entered English in the late 16th century, first describing language or text that said more than necessary.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'redundant' and 'repetitive'?
- Repetitive means something is said or done too many times. Redundant means a single word or phrase adds no new meaning because the idea is already there. A phrase can be redundant even if it appears only once.
- Is 'made redundant' the same as being fired?
- Not exactly. 'Made redundant' means the job role itself was eliminated — it is not about the person's performance. 'Fired' or 'dismissed' usually means the employer ended the relationship due to the employee's conduct or performance. Being made redundant is generally seen as less personal.
- Is 'redundant' common in IELTS and academic writing?
- Yes. IELTS examiners and writing tutors use 'redundant' to describe words or phrases that repeat meaning already expressed nearby. Cutting redundant language is a key skill rewarded in the Lexical Resource and Coherence bands.
- Can I call a person 'redundant' directly?
- In British English, the correct form is passive: a person 'was made redundant' — meaning it happened to them due to company decisions. Calling someone directly 'redundant' sounds very blunt and harsh, so the passive construction is standard and much more polite.