extraneous
adjective
Did you know?
We'll try not to weigh you down with a lot of extraneous information about the word extraneous, but we will tell you that it has been a part of the English language since at least 1638. It derives from the Latin word extraneus, which literally means "external." Extraneus is also the root of the words strange and estrange ("to alienate the affections or confidence of").
Synonyms
- accidental
- adventitious
- alien
- external
- extrinsic
- foreign
- supervenient
Example Sentences
Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, 2006 Industry sages argue that lump charcoal is poised for a back-to-the-future resurgence. They say that a new generation of consumers—aware that most briquettes are shot through with all manner of extraneous materials, from fillers of pulverized limestone to binders of sugarcane bagasse and ignition catalysts of sodium nitrate—are willing to pay the two-buck-a-bag premium for true lump, which, compared to traditional briquettes, lights quicker, burns hotter, and throws off no chemical residue. John T. Edge, Gourmet, June 2003 The summer concert season is at hand, which means lots of warm nights wishing the guy in the row behind you would bogart that joint instead of blowing smoke into your hair, and lots of days spent wondering just how many extraneous … charges one ticket can possibly have added on. Entertainment Weekly, 18 May 2001 She sped up the process by eliminating all extraneous steps. the architect's streamlined modern style shuns any sort of extraneous ornamentation Outside Online, 27 July 2022 Human reviewers then filter out any extraneous noise before determining the audio picked up a gunshot and alerting police. oregonlive, 18 July 2022 Although Leila’s Brothers’ lengthy runtime appears to be extraneous at first, its slow pace works in its favor to showcase a strong ensemble and captivating narrative. Jihane Bousfiha, ELLE, 2 June 2022 The iron is eventually incorporated into products, a process that can again involve losses as extraneous material is cut away—some of the excess here is also sent into the recycling process. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 20 May 2022 One of the core concepts of the channel is its simple presentation, stripping away every extraneous element. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 20 June 2022 For a vehicle featuring almost nothing extraneous, the Super 3 will be hugely configurable. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 15 June 2022 The package-free store, which opened on May 20 at 2310 N.E. Broadway, is one of a handful of new vendors around Portland that specialize in selling foods and household goods minus all the extraneous packaging. Kristine De Leon, oregonlive, 12 June 2022 Each of these celebrations was a time to block out the extraneous noise of the workaday world and feast on food and freedom. New York Times, 6 June 2022 See More Word History
Latin extraneus — more at strange entry 1
1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1
extraneous
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- irrelevant
- extrinsic
- adventitious
- external
- unnecessary
- accidental
- alien
- foreign
- supervenient
- exterior
- nonessential
- unessential
- inapplicable
- insignificant
- immaterial
- outside
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- intrinsic
- inherent
- innate
- internal
- necessary
- congenital
- basic
- inbred
- essential
- inborn
- interior
- deep-seated
- inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
- irrelevant
- immaterial
- meaningless
- inapplicable
- irrelative
- inappropriate
- impertinent
- incidental
- tangential
- peripheral
- inapposite
- useless
- beside the point
- unimportant
- tangent
- inconsequential
- insignificant
- pointless
- inane
- moot
- unsuitable
- neither here nor there
- empty
- senseless
- dead
- inapt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- relevant
- pertinent
- relative
- important
- material
- significant
- applicable
- meaningful
- germane
- useful
- appropriate
- pointed
- apposite
- apropos
- sensible
- suitable
- apt
- fit
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of extraneous are alien, extrinsic, and foreign. While all these words mean "external to a thing, its essential nature, or its original character," extraneous applies to what is on or comes from the outside and may or may not be capable of becoming an essential part.
Alien is stronger than foreign in suggesting opposition, repugnance, or irreconcilability.
The words extrinsic and extraneous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extrinsic applies to what is distinctly outside the thing in question or is not contained in or derived from its essential nature.
While in some cases nearly identical to extraneous, foreign applies to what is so different as to be rejected or repelled or to be incapable of becoming assimilated.