English Explanatory Dictionary

supernumerary

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
  2. An extra or walk-on, often non-speaking, in a film or play; a spear carrier.
  3. Something which is beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number.
  4. An animal which has not formed a pair bond and is therefore single.
  5. A married man or woman who is a secular member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic religious institution.
adj
  1. Greater in number than.
  2. Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
  3. Of an organ or structure: additional to what is normally present.
  4. Beyond what is necessary; redundant.

Pronunciation

/ˌsuːpəˈnjuːm(ə)ɹ(ə)ɹi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-supernumerary.wav /ˌsupɚˈn(j)uməˌɹɛɹi/

Word forms

supernumerary supernumeraries

Etymology

From Late Latin supernumerarius (“extra soldier added to a legion; supernumerary”), from super (“above; beyond”) + numerus (“number; collection, quantity”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns or numerals). The word is analysable as super- + numeral + -ary.

Synonyms

supe super epactal supranumerary superfluous unnecessary unneeded unwanted

Related words

supernumerous supranumerary supernumary supernumery supererogatory

Derived words

supe super supernumerarily supernumerariness supernumeraryship supernumeracy supernumerary rainbow

Translations

Finnish: ylimääräinen French: surnuméraire French: en surnombre Galician: supernumerario Galician: supernumeraria Hungarian: létszámon felüli Hungarian: létszám feletti Hungarian: plusz Hungarian: számfeletti Italian: soprannumero Italian: soprannumerario Italian: soprannumeraria Polish: nadliczbowy Polish: nadmiarowy Romanian: supranumerar Sanskrit: अधिक Sanskrit: अग्र Serbo-Croatian: prekobrojan Spanish: supernumerario
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