extraneous

[ik-strey-nee-uhs]

adjective

1. introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign.

   extraneous substances in our water.

   Synonyms: alien, adventitious, extrinsic
   Antonyms: intrinsic

2. not pertinent; irrelevant.

   an extraneous remark; extraneous decoration.

   Synonyms: superfluous, nonessential, inappropriate
   Antonyms: relevant, pertinent

extraneous

/ ɪkˈstreɪnɪəs /

adjective

1. not essential

2. not pertinent or applicable; irrelevant

3. coming from without; of external origin

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

Other Word Forms

• extraneously adverb
• extraneousness noun
• nonextraneous adjective
• nonextraneously adverb
• nonextraneousness noun
• unextraneous adjective
• unextraneously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of extraneous¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of extraneous¹

C17: from Latin extrāneus external, from extrā outside

Example Sentences

The department’s justification was blunt, casting the survey as “redundant, costly, politicized and extraneous,” saying that the report had “failed to present anything more than subjective, liberal fodder.”

From Salon

Named after former West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, the rule bans provisions deemed “extraneous” to the federal budget from being included in reconciliation bills.

From Salon

Several of the provisions Republican senators have proposed violate the Byrd Rule, she said, which is a 1985 rule the Senate adopted that says "extraneous" provisions cannot be tacked onto "reconciliation" bills.

From BBC

Quality testing in some cases had been put off for more than six months, according to their report, and raw materials tainted with unknown “extraneous matter” were used anyway, mixed into batches of drugs.

From Salon

And, to be clear, there are some people who use protests like the ones against Trump’s immigration raids as a cover and excuse to pursue an extraneous agenda of violence and anarchy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• additional 
• immaterial 
• incidental 
• nonessential 
• superfluous 
• supplementary 
• unconnected 
• unnecessary 
• unrelated