surplus
[ sur-pluhs, -pluhs ]
/ ˈsɜr plʌs, -pləs /
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noun
something that remains above what is used or needed.
an amount, quantity, etc., greater than needed.
agricultural produce or a quantity of food grown by a nation or area in excess of its needs, especially such a quantity of food purchased and stored by a governmental program of guaranteeing farmers a specific price for certain crops.
Accounting.
- the excess of assets over liabilities accumulated throughout the existence of a business, excepting assets against which stock certificates have been issued; excess of net worth over capital-stock value.
- an amount of assets in excess of what is requisite to meet liabilities.
adjective
being a surplus; being in excess of what is required: surplus wheat.
verb (used with object), sur·plussed or sur·plused,sur·plus·sing or sur·plus·ing.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Origin of surplus
synonym study for surplus
1. See remainder.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH surplus
surplice, surplusDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for surplus
British Dictionary definitions for surplus
surplus
/ (ˈsɜːpləs) /
noun plural -pluses
a quantity or amount in excess of what is required
accounting
- an excess of total assets over total liabilities
- an excess of actual net assets over the nominal value of capital stock
- an excess of revenues over expenditures during a certain period of time
economics
- an excess of government revenues over expenditures during a certain financial year
- an excess of receipts over payments on the balance of payments
adjective
being in excess; extra
Word Origin for surplus
C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin superplūs, from Latin super- + plūs more
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for surplus
surplus
An unsold quantity of a good resulting from a lack of equilibrium in a market. For example, if a price is artificially high, sellers will bring more goods to the market than buyers will be willing to buy. (Compare shortage.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.