superfluousnessn.
/suːˈpəːflʊəsnəs/, /sjuːˈpəːflʊəsnəs/, /sᵿˈpəːflʊəsnəs/, /sjᵿˈpəːflʊəsnəs/, U.S. /suˈpərfləwəsnəs/ 1. The quality or state of being superfluous.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [noun] > superabundance
flood1340
overabundancea1382
abundancec1384
excessa1387
superfluitya1387
surcarka1400
superabundance?a1475
superfluencea1477
abundancy?1526
superfluousnessa1540
pleurisya1550
inundation1589
exsuperance1603
plethory1606
overplus1609
exuberancy1611
redoundancy1623
superabundancy1628
exsuperancy1638
exuberance1638
floodings1674
plethora1700
embarrassment1815
profligacy1834
overfullness1884
a1540 R. Barnes Wks. (1573) 211/1 All onely I spake against the superfluousnes, and the abuse of them [sc. possessions].
1567 J. Maplet Greene Forest f. 39 Crowtoe..being drunken..with Wine purgeth the Gall of his superfluousnesse.
1654 T. Hobbes Of Libertie & Necessitie 31 He cannot infer the superfluousness of consultation out of the necessity of the election proceeding from it.
1765 Parasite I. ii. 10 Mr. Evans, Dick's Uncle, would sometimes argue with his Brother-in-law upon the Superfluousness of what was generally understood by a classical Education.
1804 C. H. Wilkinson Elements Galvanism II. iii. xxi. 254 He supposes the electricity..to exist there in a state of superfluousness.
1899 ‘A. Hope’ King's Mirror xviii. 192 A state of conscious and wretched superfluousness.
1931 Times 6 Jan. 17/2 Mr Gladstone's views on the superfluousness of celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's reign..are combined with many anecdotal sidelights of the Court.
2008 Washington Post (Nexis) 14 Aug. a11 Golts said the conflict also pointed up the superfluousness of the Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament.
2. A superfluity of something.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [noun] > superabundance > a superabundant quantity or amount
superabundance?a1425
delugec1430
superfluousness1561
float1763
1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. ii. f. 301 This semeth a weake superfluousnes of wordes.
1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique vi. xxii. 795 Such wines doe not load the bodie with superfluousnes of serous excrements.
1853 Homes Amer. Authors 360 He loves to throw a purple light over the familiar scene, and to invest it with a superfluousness of grateful gilding.
1882 Critic (N.Y.) 22 Apr. 116 More balladry, and a superfluousness of jingling refrains.
2009 Liverpool Echo (Nexis) 28 Aug. 26 Barristers' fees are being slashed. There is a superfluousness of barristers.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.a1540