surplus
noun
something that remains above what is used or needed.
surpluses
-
pluralof surplus.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But soaring surpluses with several key trading partners has also become a political issue, as officials overseas argue that waves of Chinese imports are crowding out local competition.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Natural-gas prices have fallen recently, thanks to strong U.S. production and high storage surpluses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Congressional Budget Office in January 2001 predicted such large future budget surpluses that it said all redeemable U.S. government debt could be paid off within five years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Because Jamaica ran sizable primary fiscal surpluses for more than a decade, halving its government debt-to-GDP ratio from 140% in 2012 to 62% in 2024.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
A separate consequence of a settled existence is that it permits one to store food surpluses, since storage would be pointless if one didn’t remain nearby to guard the stored food.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
