superfluity

American  

[soo-per-floo-i-tee] / ˌsu pərˈflu ɪ ti /

noun

plural

superfluities

1. the state of being superfluous.

2. a superabundant or excessive amount.

3. something superfluous, as a luxury.

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superfluity British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈfluːɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being superfluous

2. a quantity or thing that is in excess of what is needed

3. a thing that is not needed

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Etymology

Origin of superfluity

1350–1400; Middle English superfluite < Old French < Latin superfluitās. See superfluous, -ity

Example Sentences

Alongside the Spanish colonial homes, the scene is a picturesque look into wealth, opulence and superfluity that only a select few Angelenos can afford.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2025

Under low light, these faded, wispy clippings from the cutting-room floor suggest a superfluity of ideas that might have supplied a lifetime of inspiration to other artists.

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2019

Morrison had a superfluity of gifts and, like few other writers of her era, bent language to her will.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2019

So much gist, in fact, that it raises the question: Can there be such an abundance of gist that at some point it ceases to be gist and starts being superfluity?

From Slate • May 6, 2019

The former, consequently, would be glad to dispose of, and the latter to purchase, a part of this superfluity.

From An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Garnier, Germain