Word
redundancy
Phoneticsre·dun·dan·cy, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹɪˈdəndənsi/
UK/ɹɪdˈʌndənsi/
Definitions
01job loss
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun British English
n. the situation of losing your job because your employer no longer needs you or the position.
n. the state of being unemployed because one's position is no longer required by the employer; a dismissal or layoff.
“The car factory announced two hundred redundancies due to falling sales.”
“Following the merger, the new management team identified several overlapping roles, leading to a series of voluntary redundancies across the administrative department.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'to face redundancy' or 'compulsory redundancy'.
Pitfall
He was given a redundancy.
He was made redundant.
While 'redundancy' is the noun for the situation, the common idiomatic expression for the action is 'to be made redundant'.
Antonyms
02backup systems
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. extra parts or systems added to a machine so it keeps working if one part fails.
n. the inclusion of extra components or circuits to ensure the continued operation of a system in the event of a single component failure.
“The aircraft has triple redundancy in its flight control systems for safety.”
“Engineers designed the server architecture with built-in redundancy to prevent data loss during hardware malfunctions.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun in technical contexts.
Synonyms
03unnecessary repetition
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. the use of words or data that are not necessary because they repeat what has already been said.
n. the use of words or data that could be omitted without loss of meaning or function; needless repetition in language.
“The editor removed the redundancy from the sentence to make it clearer.”
“The professor criticised the student's essay for its excessive redundancy, noting that several paragraphs merely restated the thesis without adding new evidence.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“The redundancies are being made in an attempt to save £1.7bn over the next two years.” “Resiliency generally involves baking redundancies into a system and the baking process often has very high opportunity costs.” Etymology
From redundant + -cy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/redundancy