Vocabulary Building: “SUPERFLUOUS” – Meaning and Usage

In today’s video we’ll continue to expand our vocabulary and learn a new English word – “superfluous.”

Let’s break it into parts and learn the word’s origin.

The root of the word – “flu” comes from Latin “fluere,” which means “to flow.”

Prefix “super-” also comes from Latin and means “over” or “above.”

And suffix “-ous” in English helps form an adjective.

And thus, the literal meaning of “superfluous” is simply “that which overflows.”

To be superfluous means to be unnecessary, excessive, to have or produce too much.

Here is an example of how to use the word in a sentence:

“The farmers gave all superfluous food to the animals.”

Cheers,

TP