Superfluous
/suːˈpɜːr.fluː.əs/noun
More than is needed or useful; excessive.
Did you know?Superfluous comes from Latin superfluus, built from super- (“above, over”) + fluere (“to flow”), so the word originally described something that flowed over the top like a spill.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰlew-
“to flow”
Latin
Latin
fluere
“to flow”
Latin
Latin
superfluus
“overflowing, excessive; literally “flowing over””
Old French
Old French
superflue
“superfluous, excessive”
Middle English
English
superfluous
“excessive, more than enough”
Modern English
English
superfluous
“more than is needed or useful”
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