surplus

[ sur-pluhs, -pluhs ]

noun

1. something that remains above what is used or needed.

   Synonyms: superabundance

2. an amount, quantity, etc., greater than needed.
3. 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.
4. Accounting.
   1. 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.
   2. an amount of assets in excess of what is requisite to meet liabilities.

adjective

1. being a surplus; being in excess of what is required:

   surplus wheat.

verb (used with object)

surplussed or surplusedsurplussing or surplusing

1. to treat as surplus; sell off; retire:

   The government surplussed some of its desert lands.

surplus

/ ˈsɜːpləs /

noun

1. a quantity or amount in excess of what is required
2. accounting
   1. an excess of total assets over total liabilities
   2. an excess of actual net assets over the nominal value of capital stock
   3. an excess of revenues over expenditures during a certain period of time
3. economics
   1. an excess of government revenues over expenditures during a certain financial year
   2. an excess of receipts over payments on the balance of payments

adjective

1. being in excess; extra

surplus

1. 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 .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of surplus¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French surplus, s(o)urplus, from Medieval Latin superplūs, equivalent to super- preposition and prefix + plūs neuter noun; super-, plus

Word History and Origins

Origin of surplus¹

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin superplūs, from Latin super- + plūs more

Synonym Study

See remainder.

Example Sentences

Far from helping to explain the southpaw surplus, the platoon effect must actually suppress the number of left-handed pitchers.

From FiveThirtyEight

I mean, don’t get me started on ethanol, because that’s the next step in reducing the surplus.

From Freakonomics

Just a few months ago, states like New Mexico were talking about a huge budget surplus.

From Quartz

Careful analysis of meteorites by Dworkin and others has found that certain “live” amino acids outnumber “evil” ones by 20% or more, a surplus they may have passed on to Earth.

From Quanta Magazine

Such a property would allow them to scatter with electrons at an enhanced rate, explaining the surplus of electronic recoils.

From Quanta Magazine

Scottish farmers had already been making whisky in the area for centuries with their surplus barley.

From The Daily Beast

Sergei was wearing his uniform off-duty when I met him: a khaki t-shirt and a pair of army surplus pants.

From The Daily Beast

In September 2013, the government reported a surplus of $75.1 billion.

From The Daily Beast

This is an era of change coming thick and fast after the war, and London is a city of surplus women and new class mobility.

From The Daily Beast

But we now have all this surplus military weaponry going to police forces.

From The Daily Beast

We did plan a great trip—father and mother and Tim and I—we were going to England together when the farm showed a surplus.

From Project Gutenberg

If there is a surplus after satisfying the mortgage debt it must be paid to the mortgagor, or, if he is dead, to his heir.

From Project Gutenberg

He even piled Cash's end of the hearth high with the surplus, after his own side was heaped full.

From Project Gutenberg

He thought it desirable, he continued, that a reduction of taxes should be made to the extent of this surplus.

From Project Gutenberg

But this surplus would be further reduced by a change which was proposed in the spirit duties.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• balance