Extraneous vs Supernumerary - What's the difference?
extraneous | supernumerary |
Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign
Not essential or intrinsic
A civil designation for somebody who works in a group, association or public office, without forming part of the regular staff; those distinguished from numerary. (For example, supernumerary judges are those who help the regular judges when there is a surplus amount of work.)
An extra or walk-on in a film or play; spear-carrier.
* 1992', Sarah Anne Sloane, '''''Supernumeraries at bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) nests (page 50)
Extra; beyond the standard or prescribed amount or number.
* 1948': Aldous Huxley, ''Ape and Essence'', page 74:
Greater in number than.
Beyond what is necessary.
As adjectives the difference between extraneous and supernumerary
is that extraneous is not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign while supernumerary is extra; beyond the standard or prescribed amount or number.As a noun supernumerary is
a civil designation for somebody who works in a group, association or public office, without forming part of the regular staff; those distinguished from numerary (for example, supernumerary judges are those who help the regular judges when there is a surplus amount of work).extraneous
English
Adjective
(-)- to separate gold from extraneous matter
- Extraneous substances were found on my cup of water.
Synonyms
* (not belonging to) additional, alien, foreign, intrusive * (not essential) superfluous, extraDerived terms
* extraneously * extraneousnesssupernumerary
English
Noun
(supernumeraries)Adjective
(-)'''1949''' “Chatto & Windus” edition]; [http://books.google.co.uk/books?lr=&ei=-kZSSb6rBIjcygTtre2LAg&id=mYorAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Ape+and+Essence%22+supernumerary&q=supernumerary&pgis=1#search_anchor '1972 “Harper & Row” edition
- Over close-ups of little faces with hare lips, little trunks with stumps instead of legs and arms, little hands with clusters of supernumerary fingers, little bodies adorned with a double row of nipples, we hear the voice of the Narrator.
