redundant
UK[rɪˈdʌndənt]US[rɪˈdʌndənt]
adj
not needed or useful; more than is necessary
adj
(especially of a worker) no longer needed for a job and therefore dismissed
Morpheme Breakdown
re
und
ant
re
again, excessively
und
wave, flow
ant
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "redundant" originates from the latin verb redundare, meaning "to overflow" or "to be in excess." this verb itself is a compound of the prefix re- (here intensifying the meaning to "excessively") and undare ("to rise in waves"), which derives from unda ("a wave"). the core image is of a wave flowing back upon itself or overflowing its bounds, creating an unnecessary surplus. over time, this vivid physical concept of overflowing was metaphorically extended to describe anything superfluous, unnecessarily repetitive, or exceeding what is required, which is its modern abstract sense.
Analysis
Structure: re (again, excessively) + und (wave, flow) + ant (adjective suffix)
- re: a latin prefix meaning "again, back, or excessively."
- und: from latin unda meaning "a wave."
- ant: a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, often meaning "performing (a specified action)" or "being in a (specified) state."
Examples
the document was full of redundant information and needed heavy editing.
after the factory closed, hundreds of workers were made redundant.
he removed the redundant backup systems to simplify the design.