English vocabulary · B2
Redundant
/rɪˈdʌndənt/ · adj.
Redundant means not needed because something else already does the same job. Take it away, and everything still works just as well.
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Example sentences
- Cut this redundant step.
- One spare key made the copy redundant.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- re — again (from Latin)
- und — wave (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- EXTRA — more than needed (More Than Needed)
- NEEDLESS — not needed (No Good Reason)
- SPARE — an extra one (Kept Beyond One)
Words with the same root
und — wave
- inundate — cover with too much water
- undulate — move like waves
Lesson notes
Redundant means not needed because something else already does the same job. Take it away, and everything still works just as well.
Related: extra, needless, spare. Use redundant when one copy adds nothing.
Cut this redundant step. One spare key made the copy redundant.
From Latin. Re- means again. Und- means wave. Again, waves spill over; too much becomes redundant.