# surplus

/ˈsɝpɫəs/ (US) · /sˈɜːpləs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/surplus
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extra amount

noun · CEFR B2

an amount of something that is left over because you have more than you need.

For teachers: an amount or quantity in excess of what is needed or used. Often used in the context of resources or commodities.

- 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.

### 2. financial/budgetary excess

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the amount of money left over when income is higher than spending.

For teachers: the positive difference between income and expenditure in a budget, or the assets remaining after all liabilities are deducted.

- 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'.

### 3. extra or leftover

adjective · CEFR B2

describes something that is extra and not currently needed.

For teachers: being in excess of what is required; redundant to current needs.

- 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.

### 4. to get rid of extra items

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to sell or give away things that a company or government no longer needs.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The country has a large trade surplus this year.
- After the harvest, the farmers sold their surplus grain to neighboring villages to increase their income.
- The government's decision to reinvest the budget surplus into public infrastructure was met with widespread approval from both economists and the general public.

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