Word
surplus
Phoneticssur·plus, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɝpɫəs/
UK/sˈɜːpləs/
Definitions
01extra amount
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an amount of something that is left over because you have more than you need.
n. an amount or quantity in excess of what is needed or used. Often used in the context of resources or commodities.
日本語:余剰※
“The country produced a huge surplus of grain this year and exported the extra to its neighbors.”
“The humanitarian agency struggled to distribute the sudden surplus of donated clothing before the rainy season began.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' followed by the resource.
02financial/budgetary excess
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Economics Academic
n. the amount of money left over when income is higher than spending.
n. the positive difference between income and expenditure in a budget, or the assets remaining after all liabilities are deducted.
日本語:黒字※
“The government announced a budget surplus for the first time in a decade.”
“Economists argued that the trade surplus was a result of suppressed domestic demand rather than increased manufacturing efficiency.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the phrases 'budget surplus' or 'trade surplus'.
03extra or leftover
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describes something that is extra and not currently needed.
adj. being in excess of what is required; redundant to current needs.
日本語:余分※
“You can buy cheap camping gear at the army surplus store.”
“The school board decided to sell the surplus furniture to raise funds for the new library computer lab.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
04to get rid of extra items
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Technical
v. to sell or give away things that a company or government no longer needs.
v. to designate equipment or personnel as no longer required and subsequently dispose of or dismiss them.
“The department plans to surplus its old vehicles by the end of the month.”
“Under the new restructuring plan, several administrative roles were surplused to reduce the firm's annual operating costs.”
Usage
Transitive verb requiring a direct object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “surplus” in context.
Verb
01. dispose of the surplus
“The government had to find a way to dispose of the surplus grain without crashing market prices.”
verb + prep + noun
02. generate a surplus
“The company managed to generate a surplus of five million dollars this fiscal year.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. budgetary surplus
“Economists debated whether the budgetary surplus should be used for tax cuts or infrastructure.”
adj + noun
04. chronic surplus
“The region faced a chronic surplus of unskilled labor, leading to high unemployment rates.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. surplus of energy
“The toddler had a surplus of energy and refused to take a nap.”
noun + of + noun
06. trade surplus
“The country reported a record trade surplus due to the booming electronics industry.”
noun + noun
Preposition
07. in surplus
“After all the expenses were paid, the charity fund remained in surplus.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The US runs a trade surplus with Brazil, meaning it sells the country goods and services worth more than it imports from it.” “Despite spending about $90,000 on each of its 2,100 students, the foundation still runs an annual surplus of more than $850 million .” Etymology
From Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/surplus
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0