extraneous

[ ik-strey-nee-uhs ]
See synonyms for: extraneousextraneously on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign:extraneous substances in our water.

  2. not pertinent; irrelevant: an extraneous remark; extraneous decoration.

Origin of extraneous

1
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin extrāneus “external, foreign,” equivalent to extr(a)- extra- + -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous

Other words for extraneous

Opposites for extraneous

Other words from extraneous

  • ex·tra·ne·ous·ly, adverb
  • ex·tra·ne·ous·ness, noun
  • non·ex·tra·ne·ous, adjective
  • non·ex·tra·ne·ous·ly, adverb
  • non·ex·tra·ne·ous·ness, noun
  • un·ex·tra·ne·ous, adjective
  • un·ex·tra·ne·ous·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with extraneous

Words Nearby extraneous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use extraneous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for extraneous

extraneous

/ (ɪkˈstreɪnɪəs) /


adjective
  1. not essential

  2. not pertinent or applicable; irrelevant

  1. coming from without; of external origin

  2. not belonging; unrelated to that to which it is added or in which it is contained

Origin of extraneous

1
C17: from Latin extrāneus external, from extrā outside

Derived forms of extraneous

  • extraneously, adverb
  • extraneousness, noun

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