WordGarden.ioredundant
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪdˈʌndənt/
US
- /rɪˈdəndənt/
Meanings
Adjective
unnecessary because it repeats, overlaps with, or adds nothing useful
no longer needed in a job or role, often leading to dismissal
designed with duplicate backup parts or pathways so a system keeps working if one part fails
Beyond the definition
Imagine building with LEGOs. If you use three identical connector pieces when only one will do the job, those extra pieces are redundant—they are surplus and don't add anything useful to the structure. That's what "redundant" means: more than what is needed. It can describe things that are repeated unnecessarily (like saying the same thing twice) or parts of a system that overlap and aren't essential. A good editor will cut out redundant phrasing in writing, while engineers might purposefully build redundancy into safety systems—having backup components just in case!
"Redundant" describes something that is unnecessary because it duplicates something else already present. It comes from the Latin word redundare, meaning "to overflow." Think of a river overflowing its banks; there is simply more water than the channel can hold!
In a professional context, the word has specific weight. A job or position can become redundant when it is no longer needed, often because of downsizing, restructuring, or automation. In communication, redundant information is repetition—saying the same thing in multiple ways without adding new detail. For example: "The report was full of repetitive and redundant statements."
However, redundancy isn't always a negative trait. In engineering and safety-critical systems, it is a vital strategy. A plane might have redundant flight controls—backup systems that automatically kick in if the primary ones fail. This ensures reliability and saves lives. Similarly, computer systems often use redundant data storage (like RAID arrays) to prevent the loss of information if one hard drive crashes.
Context is key to understanding this word. While "redundant" often implies wastefulness or inefficiency in language and business, it signifies a smart and necessary safety measure in design. Whether you're streamlining a document, analyzing a business structure, or designing a complex system, identifying redundancy helps you determine what is truly essential and what is simply extra.
Examples
- 1
Editing
We cut a few redundant sentences from the report.
- 2
Repetition
Once the instructions were on screen, repeating them out loud felt redundant.
- 3
Automation
The new software made several manual checks redundant.
- 4
Job roles
After the merger, some office roles became redundant.
- Domain
in employment, a redundant job or role is no longer needed
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Job loss
The factory made 80 workers redundant last year.
- Patternmake someone redundant
end their job because the role is no longer needed
- 6
Critical systems
In critical systems, some parts are deliberately redundant so everything still works if one part fails.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- extraneous
- duplicative
- repetitive
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- redundant information
- redundant wording
- redundant step
Word family
- redundancy
- redundantly
Explore
- conciseness
- efficiency
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- redundantadjective