surplus

C1 Topic:Numbers & Quantity

US /ˈsɝˌplʌs/ UK /ˈsɜːpləs/ See IPA manual

adj noun verb Freq #16389

Meanings

1

noun
An amount that is more than what is needed or used.

We have a surplus of cheese after the party.
2

adj
More than is needed or required.

The farm sold its surplus crops at the market.
3

noun
The amount by which income or assets exceed spending or debts.

The government reported a budget surplus this year.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an amount that is more than... excess abundance

2 adj · more than is needed or... extra excess

Word family

Forms surpluses

Etymology

From Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus.

*pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European surplus Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Numbers & Quantity

# surplus

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈsɝˌplʌs
**IPA (UK):** ˈsɜːpləs
**Frequency rank:** 16389

## Meanings
1. An amount that is more than what is needed or used.
2. More than is needed or required.
3. The amount by which income or assets exceed spending or debts.

## Examples
- We have a surplus of cheese after the party.
- The farm sold its surplus crops at the market.
- The government reported a budget surplus this year.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pleh₁-
- Root: surplus

## Etymology
From Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus.

## AI Etymology
Surplus comes from Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus. The historical chain includes *pleh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), surplus (Middle English), and surplus (Middle French). In present use it covers an amount that is more than what is needed or used, more than is needed or required, and the amount by which income or assets exceed spending or debts.

## Topics
- Numbers & Quantity

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surplus

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