supernumerary meaning

UK US

supernumerary (noun): a person serving no apparent function.

supernumerary has 3 meanings in this dictionary, as noun and adjective.

supernumerary as a noun

  1. a person serving no apparent function
    • reducing staff is difficult because our employees include no supernumeraries

    Type of: person

  2. a minor actor in crowd scenes

    Synonyms: spear carrier, extra

    Type of: actor

supernumerary as an adjective

  1. more than is needed, desired, or required
    • trying to lose excess weight
    • found some extra change lying on the dresser
    • yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant
    • skills made redundant by technological advance
    • sleeping in the spare room
    • supernumerary ornamentation
    • it was supererogatory of her to gloat
    • delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words
    • extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts
    • surplus cheese distributed to the needy

    Synonyms: excess, extra, redundant, spare, supererogatory, superfluous, surplus

    Similar: unnecessary

Scrabble score: 20 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with SU · words ending in RY · 13-letter words

More about supernumerary on Wikipedia.