If there is a surplusof something, there is more than is needed.
Germany suffers from a surplus of teachers. [+ of]
Synonyms: excess, surfeit, superabundance, superfluity More Synonyms of surplus
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun, Also v-link ADJto n]
Surplus is used to describe something that is extra or that is more than is needed.
Few people have large sums of surplus cash.
I sell my surplus birds to a local pet shop.
The houses are being sold because they are surplus to requirements.
Synonyms: extra, spare, excess, remaining More Synonyms of surplus
3. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
If a country has a trade surplus, it exports more than it imports.
Japan's annual trade surplus is in the region of 100 billion dollars.
4. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
If a government has a budget surplus, it has spent less than it received in taxes.
The Government also runs a modest budget surplus.
surplus in British English
(ˈsɜːpləs)
nounWord forms: plural-pluses
1.
a quantity or amount in excess of what is required
2. accounting
a.
an excess of total assets over total liabilities
b.
an excess of actual net assets over the nominal value of capital stock
c.
an excess of revenues over expenditures during a certain period of time
3. economics
a.
an excess of government revenues over expenditures during a certain financial year
b.
an excess of receipts over payments on the balance of payments
adjective
4.
being in excess; extra
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin superplūs, from Latin super- + plūs more
surplus in American English
(ˈsɜrˌplʌs; ˈsɜrpləs)
noun
1.
a quantity or amount over and above what is needed or used; something left over;excess
2.
a.
the excess of the assets of a business over its liabilities for a given period
b.
the excess of the total accumulated assets of a business over its liabilities and capital stock outstanding
adjective
3.
forming a surplus; excess; extra
4. US
designating or of commodities (specif., certain excess farm products) bought, stored, distributed, etc. by the government under the Federal price-support program
see also price support
Word origin
ME < OFr < sur-, above (see sur-1) + L plus, more (see plus)
surplus in Accounting1
(sɜrplʌs)
Word forms: (plural) surpluses
noun
(Accounting: Basic)
A surplus is an excess of total assets over total liabilities.
The trade surplus is likely to persist, and reserve assets, after all, are generating interest incomes.
A pension fund has a surplus when its assets exceed its obligations to current and future pensioners.
A surplus is an excess of total assets over total liabilities.
Related wordsThe opposite of surplus is deficit, for both its senses.
surplus in Accounting2
(sɜrplʌs)
Word forms: (plural) surpluses
noun
(Accounting: Basic)
A surplus is an excess of revenue over expenditure during a particular accounting period.
A charity's surplus at the end of a financial year is not liable to taxation.
Not-for-profit institutions treat a surplus of operating revenues over operating costs as a profit that they are not supposedto make.
A surplus is an excess of revenue over expenditure during a particular accounting period.
Examples of 'surplus' in a sentence
surplus
But once he has got them there he has always been deemed surplus to requirements.
The Sun (2009)
It also predicted an iron ore surplus next year.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They could sell their surplus to local stalls and shops.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It is focused on its internal capital surplus ratio.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The plunge in the oil price has turned the government budget from surplus to loss.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The improvement reflected a return to surplus on trade in oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In recent years emerging economies have run persistent current account surpluses.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We think that firms with permanent cash surpluses ought to return the excess cash to their stockholders.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
This is generally known as the theory of surplus value.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
The rest of the time there is a large surplus.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You now know where to invest your surplus cash.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
Is running a budget surplus a good idea?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Because they know that if they were in a healthy surplus their annual financial settlement would be reduced.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That strong spring trading means that there is little surplus stock left in the shops before the winter selling season.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This seems so eminently reasonable that it is worth asking why indefinitely running trade surpluses is not a good policy objective.
Maurice D. Levi International Finance: The markets and financial management of multinational business. (1983)
Just two years ago it had a 2.2% surplus.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Japan remains the world's largest creditor nation and it runs a healthy current account surplus.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Consumers' surplus in the perfectly competitive industry equals areas.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
A surplus is when the value of exports exceeds the value of imports.
Chambers, Ian Business Studies Basic Facts (1990)
Producers' surplus measures the total benefits to firms from selling units for more than their marginal production costs.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
They possessed surpluses of grain and food, but these bulky products were expensive to transport over long distances.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
From the 1980s, this was partly offset by a surplus on its net investments.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Further job cuts are planned for the summer as Flybe grounds 14 aircraft deemed surplus.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
surplus
British English: surplus /ˈsɜːpləs/ NOUN
extraSurplus is used to describe something that is extra or that is more than is needed.
Few people have large sums of surplus cash.
American English: surplus
Arabic: فَائِض
Brazilian Portuguese: excedente
Chinese: 多余的
Croatian: suvišan
Czech: přebytečný
Danish: overskydende
Dutch: overtollig
European Spanish: sobrante
Finnish: ylimääräinen
French: supplémentaire
German: überschüssig
Greek: περίσσιος
Italian: eccedente
Japanese: 余分な
Korean: 나머지의
Norwegian: overskytende
Polish: w nadmiarze
European Portuguese: excedente
Romanian: surplus
Russian: избыточный
Latin American Spanish: sobrante
Swedish: överskotts-
Thai: เป็นส่วนเกิน
Turkish: fazla
Ukrainian: надлишок
Vietnamese: thừa
British English: surplus /ˈsɜːpləs/ NOUN
excess If there is a surplus of something, there is more than is needed.
The country suffers from a surplus of teachers.
American English: surplus
Arabic: فَضْل
Brazilian Portuguese: excedente
Chinese: 剩余
Croatian: višak
Czech: přebytek
Danish: overskud
Dutch: surplus
European Spanish: excedente
Finnish: ylijäämä
French: surplus
German: Überschuss
Greek: περίσσευμα
Italian: eccedenza
Japanese: 余り
Korean: 나머지
Norwegian: overskudd
Polish: nadmiar
European Portuguese: excedente
Romanian: surplus
Russian: излишек
Latin American Spanish: excedente
Swedish: överskott
Thai: จำนวนที่เกิน
Turkish: fazlalık
Ukrainian: надлишок
Vietnamese: lượng dư
All related terms of 'surplus'
war surplus
equipment , supplies, etc., originally used by or manufactured for the armed forces, but disposed of cheaply as surplus or obsolete
army surplus
used or unused articles of military clothing, equipment , etc previously allocated to or intended for the use of army personnel but now sold off to members of the public
surplus store
a shop that sells used items , or items previously purchased but unused , and no longer needed . The items are often military, government or industrial excess
surplus value
in Marxist economics , the amount by which the value of the worker's product exceeds the wage the worker is paid, viewed as the source of capitalist profit
trade surplus
If a country has a trade surplus , it exports more than it imports.
budget surplus
the amount by which government income from taxation , customs duties , etc, exceeds expenditure in any one fiscal year
capital surplus
any surplus of a business firm not derived from direct earnings or profits
surplus reinsurance
Surplus reinsurance is reinsurance of amounts over a specified amount of insurance .
Chinese translation of 'surplus'
surplus
(ˈsəːpləs)
n(c)
a surplus (of sth)过(過)剩的(某物) (guòshèng de (mǒuwù))
adj
[stock, grain etc]过(過)剩的 (guòshèng de)
a trade surplus贸(貿)易顺(順)差 (màoyì shùnchā)
it is surplus to our requirements (frm) 超过(過)我们(們)的需要 (chāoguò wǒmen de xūyào)
(noun)
Definition
a quantity or amount left over in excess of what is required
The country suffers from a surplus of lawyers.
Synonyms
excess
Avoid an excess of sugar in your diet.
surfeit
Rationing had put an end to a surfeit of biscuits long ago.
superabundance
superfluity
a superfluity of five-star hotels
Opposites
lack
,
deficit
,
shortage
,
deficiency
,
shortfall
,
dearth
,
paucity
,
insufficiency
(adjective)
Definition
being in excess
Few people have large sums of surplus cash.
Synonyms
extra
This exercise will help you burn up any extra calories.
spare
They don't have a lot of spare cash.
excess
After cooking the fish, pour off any excess fat.
remaining
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
odd
I found an odd sock in the washing machine.
in excess
left over
unused
Throw away any unused cream when it has reached the expiry date.
superfluous
My presence at the afternoon's proceedings was superflous.
Opposites
lacking
,
inadequate
,
insufficient
,
scarce
,
limited
,
falling short
,
scant
,
deficient
,
scanty
Additional synonyms
in the sense of odd
Definition
leftover or additional
I found an odd sock in the washing machine.
Synonyms
spare,
remaining,
extra,
surplus,
single,
lone,
solitary,
uneven,
leftover,
unmatched,
unpaired
in the sense of remaining
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Synonyms
left-over,
surviving,
spare,
outstanding,
excess,
surplus,
lingering,
unfinished,
residual
in the sense of spare
Definition
extra to what is needed
They don't have a lot of spare cash.
Synonyms
extra,
surplus,
leftover,
over,
free,
odd,
unwanted,
in excess,
unused,
superfluous,
going begging,
supernumerary
Synonyms of 'surplus'
surplus
Explore 'surplus' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of superfluity
a superfluity of five-star hotels
Synonyms
excess,
surplus,
surfeit,
redundancy,
plethora,
exuberance,
glut,
superabundance
in the sense of superfluous
Definition
more than is sufficient or required
My presence at the afternoon's proceedings was superflous.
Synonyms
excess,
surplus,
redundant,
remaining,
extra,
spare,
excessive,
unnecessary,
in excess,
needless,
left over,
on your hands,
surplus to requirements,
uncalled-for,
unneeded,
residuary,
supernumerary,
superabundant,
pleonastic,
unrequired,
supererogatory
in the sense of surfeit
Definition
excessive eating or drinking
Rationing had put an end to a surfeit of biscuits long ago.
Synonyms
excess,
plethora,
glut,
satiety,
overindulgence,
superabundance,
superfluity
in the sense of unused
Throw away any unused cream when it has reached the expiry date.