Redundant, Superfluous

Question

What is the meaning of redundant, superfluous or surplus ?
For example, if I say "She smiled with her mouth", will the whole sentence be considered redundant or superfluous or only the part that is not needed i.e. "with her mouth" ?

Similarly in other contexts, what would a redundant/superfluous/surplus workforce mean ?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I hear a lot of talk now about redundancies as backup, especially in military jargon. While redundancy can be a no-no in language, it's not necessarily bad in a system. Certain automotive safety features could be considered redundant, in a "good" way.

"Superfluous," on the other hand, is usually a pejorative --- always bad, in my experience.
"Surplus" is usually applied to materials/ items/ personnel which were formerly useful or necessary, but are no longer needed.
Of course it's possible to say that something has now become superfluous.

Debpriya Dewhat would a redundant/superfluous/surplus workforce mean ?

I'm saying that I don't believe these three adjectives are necessarily equivalent. But clearly such a workforce would not be busy doing important work, unless you're talking about a military group such as "Commanders In Extremis Force," who are always busy maintaining a high level of readiness. You might call these guys redundant, but "surplus" and "superfluous" would not apply.

Debpriya De"She smiled with her mouth", will the whole sentence be considered redundant or superfluous or only the part that is not needed

We often label the phrase as redundant. When two terms or expressions are used where only one should be used, it's not always clear which one should be eliminated.
But we also sometimes specifically label the "last part" as redundant, especially if removing it will correct the problem.
Personally, I don't find "She smiled with her mouth" to be redundant. A smile can be a complex thing.

KJinCali79 · Answer

Redundant is typically used in regard to linguistics/writing, but can apply to a workforce that is over-staffed or under-worked. It means “needlessly wordy or repetitive in expression; more than is needed, desired, or required”

Surplus simply means extra or in excess, and does not necessarily have the negative connotation of superfluous or redundant. It is typically used in regard to materials.

Superfluous has a harsher tone. It truly implies that not only is it beyond what is required it serves no useful purpose.

The phrase “She smiled with her mouth,” might be slightly redundant, since if you just said “She smiled” it would be understood to be with her mouth; however, one can smile with her eyes, or face, or features beyond a mouth, so it is not necessarily redundant.

Redundant, Superfluous

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