surplus

noun

An amount left over after needs or requirements have been met.

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Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

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The Figures at the Bottom · paragraph 1

Amount beyond needs

Closest synonyms

excess remainder overage oversupply surplusage

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Surplus remains after requirements are met. A reserve is deliberately kept for later use and need not reflect an unnecessary excess.

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See surplus in use

The organizers donated the surplus of unused notebooks to another workshop.

Dictionary practice example.

After meeting the recorded costs and setting aside money for existing commitments, the group had a small surplus.

From A Budget Across Two Seasons.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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