I. -nt adjective
Etymology: Latin redundant-, redundans, present participle of redundare to overflow, be in excess — more at redound
1.
a. : exceeding what is necessary or normal : superfluous , surplus
older areas, plants and occupations are becoming redundant and obsolete — Solomon Barkin
so many books on heraldry … that yet another might be thought redundant — Times. Literary Supplement
a redundant secretion of bile
specifically : pleonastic
at the risk of being redundant , I return to my original proposition — J.B.Conant
b. : characterized by or containing an excess
the skin … was redundant and lay too loosely on her fingers — Jean Stafford
specifically : immaterial 3b
the court may order stricken from any pleading … any redundant , immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter — U.S. Code
2. : characterized by abundance : profuse , lavish
skirts became somewhat shorter and less redundant — G.M.Trevelyan
3. : expanding beyond ordinary bounds : swelling , overflowing
a gradual spilling over of the redundant population — Ellen Semple
Synonyms: see wordy
II. adjective
1. : serving as a duplicate for preventing failure of an entire system (as a spacecraft) upon failure of a single component
2. Britain : being out of work : laid off : discharged
an air hostess who had been made redundant — A.N.Wilson