redundancy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal to Neutral
Quick answer
What does “redundancy” mean?
The state of being not or no longer needed or useful.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The state of being not or no longer needed or useful; superfluity.
The inclusion of extra components or information that is not strictly necessary but which prevents failure or provides backup in case of failure. Also refers to the dismissal of an employee from a job for economic reasons.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'redundancy' is the standard term for dismissal from employment due to the job no longer existing. In American English, 'layoff' is the more common term for this; 'redundancy' is more often used in its technical or general 'superfluity' senses.
Connotations
UK: Strongly associated with job loss, carrying significant emotional/economic weight. US: More abstract/technical, less emotionally charged in common usage.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to its specific employment meaning. In US English, frequency is lower and skewed towards engineering, computing, and formal writing.
Grammar
How to Use “redundancy” in a Sentence
redundancy of [something]redundancy in [a system/process]redundancy among [a group][verb] a redundancyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “redundancy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The company is looking to **redundancy** several departments.
- They plan to **redundancy** the old system.
American English
- The firm will **redundancy** the obsolete protocol.
- We need to **redundancy** these steps to streamline the process.
adverb
British English
- The data was stored **redundantly** across three servers.
- He explained the point **redundantly**, frustrating the audience.
American English
- The systems are designed **redundantly** for maximum uptime.
- She spoke **redundantly**, repeating herself several times.
adjective
British English
- The **redundant** worker received a generous package.
- This clause is **redundant** given the new agreement.
American English
- The **redundant** circuitry is a failsafe.
- His comments were largely **redundant**.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to job elimination: 'The merger will lead to 200 redundancies.'
Academic
Used in linguistics, engineering, and logic to describe non-essential repetition or backup systems.
Everyday
Often describes unnecessary repetition in speech or writing: 'Saying 'free gift' is a redundancy.'
Technical
In computing/engineering: 'The server has redundancy in its power supplies.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “redundancy”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “redundancy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “redundancy”
- Using 'redundancy' for any job firing (it's specifically job elimination, not performance-related).
- Confusing 'redundant' (adj) with 'redundancy' (noun) in collocations (e.g., 'He was made redundancy' is wrong).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. In general language, it often implies wastefulness. However, in engineering, computing, and communications, 'redundancy' is a positive design feature providing backup and increasing reliability.
In UK English, 'redundancy' means the job itself is eliminated. A 'layoff' (more common in US English) can be temporary or due to lack of work. 'Redundancy' implies the position is permanently removed.
Yes. Anything unnecessary, superfluous, or serving as a duplicate backup can be 'redundant' (e.g., redundant data, a redundant comment, redundant safety features).
A situation where employees are offered a financial package to voluntarily leave their jobs, often used by companies to reduce staff numbers without compulsory dismissals.
The state of being not or no longer needed or useful.
Redundancy is usually formal to neutral in register.
Redundancy: in British English it is pronounced /rɪˈdʌndənsi/, and in American English it is pronounced /rɪˈdʌndənsi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A redundancy too far”
- “Cut out the redundancy”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
REDundant = REpeated + UNneceDANT. Think of a REDUNDant person as one who is 'round' (redundant) and taking up unnecessary space.
Conceptual Metaphor
WASTEFUL EXCESS (negative), SAFETY NET (positive)
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'redundancy' MOST LIKELY to have a positive connotation?