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View synonyms for

surplus

[ sur-pluhs, -pluhs ]

noun

  1. something that remains above what is used or needed.

    Synonyms:

  2. an amount, quantity, etc., greater than needed.
  3. agricultural produce or a quantity of food grown by a nation or area in excess of its needs, especially such a quantity of food purchased and stored by a governmental program of guaranteeing farmers a specific price for certain crops.
  4. Accounting.
    1. the excess of assets over liabilities accumulated throughout the existence of a business, excepting assets against which stock certificates have been issued; excess of net worth over capital-stock value.
    2. an amount of assets in excess of what is requisite to meet liabilities.


adjective

  1. being a surplus; being in excess of what is required:

    surplus wheat.

verb (used with object)

surplussed or surplusedsurplussing or surplusing
  1. to treat as surplus; sell off; retire:

    The government surplussed some of its desert lands.

surplus

/ ˈɜːə /

noun

  1. a quantity or amount in excess of what is required
  2. accounting
    1. an excess of total assets over total liabilities
    2. an excess of actual net assets over the nominal value of capital stock
    3. an excess of revenues over expenditures during a certain period of time
  3. economics
    1. an excess of government revenues over expenditures during a certain financial year
    2. an excess of receipts over payments on the balance of payments
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. being in excess; extra
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

surplus

  1. An unsold quantity of a good resulting from a lack of equilibrium in a market. For example, if a price is artificially high, sellers will bring more goods to the market than buyers will be willing to buy. ( Compare shortage .)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of surplus1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French surplus, s(o)urplus, from Medieval Latin ܱū, equivalent to super- preposition and prefix + ū neuter noun; super-, plus
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Word History and Origins

Origin of surplus1

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin ܱū, from Latin super- + ū more
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

However, Reeves said: "I do understand the concerns the US has about countries around the world that run large and persistent trade surpluses with the US."

From

Animal welfare charities have also raised concerns about owners euthanising dogs that are deemed unfit to race, whether due to age, injury or simply being deemed surplus to requirements.

From

India has already slashed tariffs on some US goods, with further cuts expected as the balance of trade is still stacked heavily in favour of Delhi, which enjoys a $45bn trade surplus.

From

Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador to the US, Sir Ronald Sanders, says that the US has long enjoyed a trade surplus with most Caribbean countries.

From

But as Vietnamese manufacturing has boomed, so has the nation’s trade surplus with the U.S., rising fourfold since 2015 to $123.5 billion last year.

From

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