# redundancy

/ɹɪˈdəndənsi/ (US) · /ɹɪdˈʌndənsi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/redundancy
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. job loss

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

the situation of losing your job because your employer no longer needs you or the position.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. backup systems

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

extra parts or systems added to a machine so it keeps working if one part fails.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. unnecessary repetition

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the use of words or data that are not necessary because they repeat what has already been said.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The factory closure led to hundreds of redundancies.
- After the merger, the new management identified several roles that were no longer necessary, leading to a round of voluntary redundancy.
- Engineers built multiple layers of redundancy into the spacecraft's life-support systems to ensure that a single mechanical failure would not result in a catastrophic loss of pressure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.