Superfluous vs Expendable - What's the difference?
superfluous | expendable | Synonyms |
In excess of what is required or sufficient.
Able to be expended; not inexhaustible.
Designed for a single use; not reusable.
Not essential or mandatory in order to achieve a goal.
That which is regarded as not worth preserving or saving; able to be sacrificed.
An expendable person or object; usually used in the plural.
Expendable is a synonym of superfluous.
As adjectives the difference between superfluous and expendable
is that superfluous is in excess of what is required or sufficient while expendable is able to be expended; not inexhaustible.As a noun expendable is
an expendable person or object; usually used in the plural.superfluous
English
Adjective
(-)- With a full rain suit, carrying an umbrella may be superfluous .
Synonyms
* excessive, extraneous, extra, pleonastic, supernumerary, surplus, unnecessary, extravagantCoordinate terms
* gratuitousexpendable
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- Oil and other expendable resources are frequently the subject of military disputes.
- The anti-aircraft rocket is fired from an expendable launch platform.
- The research department was deemed expendable , and its funding was not renewed.
- In the internecine rivalries of large corporations, whole departments may become expendable in the execution of one executive's power play.
Synonyms
* (not inexhaustible ): exhaustible, finite, limited * (not reusable ): dispensable, disposable, throwaway * (not essential or mandatory ): adjunct, dispensable, redundant, superfluous * (not worth saving or preserving ): collateral, inconsiderable, sacrificable, worthlessNoun
(en noun)- Private Johnson was afraid the Lieutenant considered him an expendable , since he was always picked as point man.
