Surplusage

Surplusage refers to any part of a written or spoken statement, legal document, or work of art that is considered excessive, unnecessary, redundant, or irrelevant. It adds no significant meaning or value and can often be omitted without altering the core message or impact. In legal contexts, surplusage can be deemed immaterial and disregarded by a court. Generally, surplusage contributes to clutter and can obscure the intended meaning. Eliminating surplusage is a key part of effective communication, encouraging clarity and concision. Identifying surplusage can be challenging, requiring careful scrutiny of the text's components.

Surplusage meaning with examples

• The lengthy introduction to the report contained significant surplusage; it repeated information already covered in the executive summary. The editor cut out all the unnecessary verbiage, which was a big help. The revised version was much easier to understand. The added clauses and elaborate examples served no useful purpose, detracting from the core findings.
• In the contract, the clauses regarding weather conditions contained much surplusage. The essential points would have remained clear without the redundant phrases. By removing the legal jargon and superfluous details, the contract's readability was greatly improved. There were more concise sections, removing any potential for confusion.
• The artist's initial draft of the painting contained unnecessary surplusage: too much detail, too many figures. After a significant reduction, the central figure became more prominent and impactful. This meant stripping away background clutter. The final work was a much stronger composition.
• During the presentation, the speaker's extended anecdotes and tangential remarks constituted considerable surplusage. While the anecdotes may have seemed harmless to the speaker, the audience lost interest. Removing those tangents from the main topic greatly improved the impact of the talk.