supernumerary

Meaning

Noun

1. A person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
2. An extra or walk-on, often non-speaking, in a film or play; a spear carrier.
3. Something which is beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number.
4. An animal which has not formed a pair bond and is therefore single.
5. A married man or woman who is a secular member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic religious institution.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Greater in number than.
2. (not-comparable) Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
3. (not-comparable, specifically) Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
4. (not-comparable) Beyond what is necessary; redundant.

Synonyms

extra

redundant

superfluous

spare

surplus

spear carrier

additional

excess

supererogatory

needless

otiose

gratuitous

figurant

super

spear-carrier

exceeding

dispensable

unasked

uncalled-for

unnecessary

unneeded

unsolicited

useless

walkon

walk-on

figurante

useless workers

dead

💀

inessential

Translations

surnuméraire

supernumerario

überzählig

Statist

extra

fazla

zait

extra

comparsa

κομπάρσος

en surnombre

figurante

sovrannumerario

überzähliger Angestellter

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌsuːpəˈnjuːm(ə)ɹ(ə)ɹi/

Etymology

From Late Latin supernumerarius (“extra soldier added to a legion; supernumerary”), from super (“above; beyond”) + numerus (“number; collection, quantity”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns or numerals). The word is analysable as super- + numeral + -ary.