Extraneous things are not relevant or essential to the situation you are involved in or the subject you are talking about.
[formal]
We ought not to bring in extraneous matters in trying to find a basis for a settlement.
I can choose to ignore these extraneous thoughts or certainly choose not to act onthem.
More Synonyms of extraneous
extraneous in British English
(ɪkˈstreɪnɪəs)
adjective
1.
not essential
2.
not pertinent or applicable; irrelevant
3.
coming from without; of external origin
4.
not belonging; unrelated to that to which it is added or in which it is contained
Derived forms
extraneously (exˈtraneously)
adverb
extraneousness (exˈtraneousness)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin extrāneus external, from extrā outside
extraneous in American English
(ɛkˈstreɪniəs; ɪkˈstreɪniəs)
adjective
1.
coming from outside; foreign
an extraneous substance
2.
not truly or properly belonging; not essential
3.
not pertinent; irrelevant
SIMILAR WORDS: exˈtrinsic
Derived forms
extraneously (exˈtraneously)
adverb
extraneousness (exˈtraneousness)
noun
Word origin
L extraneus, external, foreign < extra: see extra-
Examples of 'extraneous' in a sentence
extraneous
We would not consider any extraneous factors in awarding work.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It disciplines you to cut away extraneous information.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Her solution is to plump out her pages with extraneous information.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Car makers do not design vehicles that make extraneous noises and it sounds as though you have been fobbed off.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There are no reliable opinion polls, and the result will be influenced by three extraneous factors.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Besides, there are too many extraneous and casual factors that pop up in knockout competitions.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Agencies serious about keeping extraneous information to a minimum will rely instead on application supplements that structure the kinds of additional information required.
Tompkins, Jonathan Human Resource Management in Government (1995)
England might not encounter the extraneous factors that led to that defeat, but that does not mean they are equipped to win.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
As the extraneous elements began to wither away, the number of race meetings and the number of days per meeting were both increasing.
Judith Flanders Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain (2006)
1 (adjective)
Definition
not essential or relevant to the situation or subject being considered
Just give me the basic facts, with no extraneous details.
Synonyms
nonessential
unnecessary
The slaughter of whales is unnecessary and inhuman.
extra
This exercise will help you burn up any extra calories.
additional
Additional troops have been sent to the region.
redundant
the conversion of redundant buildings to residential use
needless
Our families thought I was taking a needless risk.
peripheral
That information is peripheral to the main story.
supplementary
the question of whether or not we need to take supplementary vitamins
incidental
The playing of music proved to be incidental to the main business.
superfluous
My presence at the afternoon's proceedings was superflous.
unneeded
inessential
We judged footnotes inessential to the text.
adventitious
unessential
2 (adjective)
Definition
not essential or relevant to the situation or subject being considered
Let's not allow ourselves to be sidetracked by extraneous questions.
Synonyms
irrelevant
irrelevant details
inappropriate
That remark was inappropriate for such a serious issue.
unrelated
Two other detectives have been suspended in an unrelated matter.
unconnected
The knowledge turned in unconnected fragments in his head.
immaterial
Whether we like him or not is immaterial.
beside the point
Brian didn't like it, but that was beside the point.
impertinent
Since we already knew this, to tell us again seemed impertinent.
inadmissible
Evidence presented by the prosecution was judged inadmissible.
off the subject
inapplicable
This theory is inapplicable to many less developed economies.
inapt
inapposite
3 (adjective)
extraneous influences affecting his state of mind
Synonyms
external
the commissioner for external affairs
foreign
a foreign language
strange
I ended up alone in a strange city.
alien
They were afraid of the presence of alien troops in the region.
exotic
travelling around the globe to collect rare and exotic plant species
out of place
extrinsic
the extrinsic conditions which affect relationships
adventitious
Additional synonyms
in the sense of additional
Additional troops have been sent to the region.
Synonyms
extra,
more,
new,
other,
added,
increased,
further,
fresh,
spare,
supplementary,
auxiliary,
ancillary,
appended,
add-on,
over-and-above
in the sense of adventitious
Definition
added or appearing accidentally
Synonyms
accidental,
chance,
foreign,
unexpected,
casual,
incidental,
extraneous,
fortuitous,
nonessential
in the sense of alien
Definition
foreign
They were afraid of the presence of alien troops in the region.