surplus
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The country produced a huge surplus of grain this year and exported the extra to its neighbors.”
In context“The humanitarian agency struggled to distribute the sudden surplus of donated clothing before the rainy season began.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' followed by the resource.
- 02 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The government announced a budget surplus for the first time in a decade.”
In context“Economists argued that the trade surplus was a result of suppressed domestic demand rather than increased manufacturing efficiency.”
UsageCommonly appears in the phrases 'budget surplus' or 'trade surplus'.
- 03 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.
Simple“You can buy cheap camping gear at the army surplus store.”
In context“The school board decided to sell the surplus furniture to raise funds for the new library computer lab.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“The department plans to surplus its old vehicles by the end of the month.”
In context“Under the new restructuring plan, several administrative roles were surplused to reduce the firm's annual operating costs.”
UsageTransitive verb requiring a direct object.
“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 .”
From Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.