surplus Definition
an amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply over demand.
Using surplus: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "surplus" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The surplus of food was donated to the homeless shelter.
Example
The company has a surplus of inventory.
Example
The budget surplus allowed for increased spending on education.
Example
The surplus of workers led to layoffs.
surplus Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for surplus
Idioms Using surplus
Example
The company's production is currently in surplus, leading to a decrease in prices.
Example
The government aims to run a budget surplus next year.
Example
The extra equipment was surplus to requirements and was sold to another company.
Phrases with surplus
Example
The trade surplus with China is a major issue in the current political climate.
Example
The government announced a budget surplus for the first time in years.
surplus value
the difference between the value of a worker's labor and the wages paid to that worker
Example
Marxist theory argues that capitalists exploit workers by extracting surplus value from their labor.
Origins of surplus
from Old French 'sur-' meaning 'over' + 'plus' meaning 'more'
Summary: surplus in Brief
The term 'surplus' [ˈsɜːpləs] refers to an excess or leftover amount of something after requirements have been met. It can refer to overproduction or oversupply, as in 'The company has a surplus of inventory,' or to budgetary or trade surpluses. Phrases like 'in surplus' and 'surplus to requirements' denote having more than what is needed or required.