redundancy

noun

re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce redundancy (audio)
plural redundancies
1
a
: the quality or state of being redundant : superfluity
b
: the use of redundant components
also : such components
c
chiefly British : dismissal from a job especially by layoff
2
3
a
: superfluous repetition : prolixity
b
: an act or instance of needless repetition
4
: the part of a message that can be eliminated without loss of essential information

Did you know?

Redundancy, closely related to redound, has stayed close to the original meaning of "overflow" or "more than necessary". Avoiding redundancy is one of the prime rules of good writing. ""In the modern world of today" contains a redundancy; so does "He died of fatal wounds" and "For the mutual benefit of both parties". But redundancy doesn't just occur in language. "Data redundancy" means keeping the same computer data in more than one place as a safety measure, and a backup system in an airplane may provide redundancy, again for the sake of safety.

Examples of redundancy in a Sentence

Avoid redundancy in your writing. Try to avoid using redundancies in your writing. The design incorporates several redundancies. a system with a high level of redundancy The restructuring is expected to result in the redundancy of several hundred workers. The workers are now facing redundancy.
Recent Examples on the Web The tide has officially turned in Big Tech following the lockdown hiring spree: job cuts are coming thick and fast, with Google the latest in a long line of companies announcing redundancies in order to meet its goals. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2024 One of the major tenets of emergency preparedness and disaster response plans is redundancy. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 Their cables have double redundancy for the people who are up in the air. Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 9 Feb. 2024 In a market characterized by challenges such as redundancies and cost-cutting, investing in technological capabilities is essential to remain competitive and satisfy ever evolving customers needs. Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 By regularly assessing team dynamics and operational efficiency, businesses can identify areas of wastage and redundancy. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023 The redundancy of these meetings encourages distraction, allowing multitasking to seep in. Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2023 Although Prime Video will continue to operate in those territories, there may be redundancies in the local teams. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024 But lurking underneath the exuberant stock price is a truth that hundreds of staff redundancies can’t hide: Spotify’s biggest challenges haven’t gone away by cutting 17% of its workforce. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'redundancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of redundancy was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near redundancy

Cite this Entry

“Redundancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redundancy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

redundancy

noun
re·​dun·​dan·​cy ri-ˈdən-dən-sē How to pronounce redundancy (audio)
plural redundancies
1
: the quality or state of being redundant
2
a
: the use of unnecessary words
b
: an act or instance of needless repetition

More from Merriam-Webster on redundancy

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