supernumerary
Syllables: su·per·nu·mer·a·ry/ˌsuːpəˈnjuːm(ə)ɹ(ə)ɹi/US/ˌsupɚˈn(j)uməˌɹɛɹi/
supernumerary noun: a person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
Noun
supernumerary (plural supernumeraries)
- A person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
- The judge was a supernumerary, helping the regular judges whenever there was a surplus amount of work.
- The Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Bombardiers, Fifers, Gunners, Private Men, and Boys of the Royal Marines belonging to Her Majesty's Ships or Vessels, whether entered on the Ship's Books as part of the complement, or borne as supernumeraries, except when borne for a passage for service on...1844, chapter VI, in The Queen’s Regulations for the Government of Her Majesty’s Naval Service, London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Stamford Street, for Her Majesty's Stationery Office...
- An extra or walk-on, often non-speaking, in a film or play; a spear carrier.
- [A] minor actor or supernumerary often has a better opportunity to watch great actors than the great actors themselves.1983, H[endrik] B[rugt] G[erhard] Casimir, “Introduction”, in Haphazard Reality: Half a Century of Science (A Sloan Foundation Book), New York, N.Y.: Harper and Row, →ISBN; republished Amsterdam...
- Though little is known about Noble Luke Usher before his first recorded performance in Washington, D.C., in 1800, it is certain that he made the rounds of the eastern theatres as a supernumerary before as well as after that year.2009, West T. Hill, Jr., “The First Western Circuit”, in The Theatre in Early Kentucky 1790–1820, paperback edition, Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN, page 72
- Something which is beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number.
- On each side the glass hung one of the large engravings; another over the secretary, facing the window, and the fourth, which for some time seemed a supernumerary, over the door.1850, Mary Howitt, “Little Coin, Much Care: Or, How Poor Men Live”, in Popular Moral Tales for the Young, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Co., […], →OCLC, chapter I (How Mr. Bartram Let Two of His...
- Ideally, the surgery is timed so that removal of the supernumerary tooth does not interfere with permanent tooth development. The earlier the supernumerary can be removed, however, the more likely it is that the permanent teeth will erupt normally. Surgery to remove a supernumerary is often...2013, Clifford O. Dummett, Jr.; Sarat Thikkurissy, “Anomalies of the Developing Dentition”, in Paul S. Casamassimo, Dennis J. McTigue, Henry W. Fields, Jr., Arthur J. Nowak, editors, Pediatric...
- An animal which has not formed a pair bond and is therefore single.
- The best evidence so far that social supernumeraries are physically capable of bettering their lot concerns not rodents but birds.1996–2005, W[illiam] D[onald] Hamilton, “Sorority Avenue: Altruism and Related Phenomena, Mainly in Social Insects”, in Narrow Roads of Gene Land: The Collected Papers of W. D. Hamilton, volume 1...
- There are differences in the composition of the social group [of certain birds] such as whether one or more sex provides help, and the stability of the associations between supernumeraries and the dominant breeders.2004, Andrew Cockburn, “Mating Systems and Sexual Conflict”, in Walter D. Koenig, Janis L. Dickinson, editors, Ecology and Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Birds, Cambridge: Cambridge University...
- A married man or woman who is a secular member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic religious institution.
- “Supernumeraries”, the bulk of Opus Dei members, can marry and live in their own homes, with slightly fewer spiritual obligations.2024 March 16, Antonia Cundy, “The Opus Dei diaries”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 17
Adjective
supernumerary (not comparable)
- Greater in number than.
- This method applies to the observation of angles, usually obtained by repetitions; and instead of equating directions, as in the first method, its object is to furnish the most probable values for the several observed angles from a supernumerary number of angles.1855, Chas. A. Schott, “[Appendix] Adjustment of Horizontal Angles of a Triangulation”, in Report of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, Showing the Progress of the Survey during the Year 1854...
- Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
- I believe a hive, or swarm, has but one queen, at least I have never found more than one in a swarm, or in an old hive in the winter; and probably this is what constitutes a hive; for when there are two queens, it is likely that a division may begin to take place. Supernumerary queens are mentioned...1792 February 23, John Hunter, “VIII. Observations on Bees.”, in Philosophical Transactions. Giving Some Account of the Present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours, of the Ingenious, in Many...
- [T]he same agreeable and mild flavour can be imparted, as far as human experience has yet gone, by rennet, of which the basis is the coagulated milk in the stomachs of calves and lambs. The number of stomachs prepared must of course depend upon the number of cheeses to be made in a season, but...1851, Martin Doyle [pseudonym; William Hickey], W[illiam Lewis] Rham, “CHEESE”, in A Cyclopædia of Practical Husbandry and Rural Affairs in General. […], new enlarged edition, London: Henry G[eorge]...
- Synonyms:
- epactal
- Of an organ or structure: additional to what is normally present.
- a supernumerary nipple; a supernumerary tooth
- It [the term disk] means a supernumerary organ, different from the stamens or petals, and originating at the base of one or other of them. Nothing can well be more variable in its nature than this disk; in the Mignonette it is, as you see, a one-sided, hairy lobe; […]1865, John Lindley, “Letter XXIX. The Mignonette Tribe—Disk—The Caper Tribe.”, in Ladies’ Botany: Or A Familiar Introduction to the Study of the Natural System of Botany. … In Two Volumes, 6th...
- Beyond what is necessary; redundant.
- Resolved, that the Curators be authorized to exchange with other societies or individuals, such duplicate or supernumerary specimens of coins, medals, minerals and other articles as they may deem unnecessary to be retained in the Cabinet of the Society, for such other specimens, of equal value, as...1853 January–June, “Stated Meeting, May 6”, in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, held at Philadelphia, for Promoting Useful Knowledge, volume V, number 49, Philadelphia, Pa.: Printed...
- Synonyms:
- superfluous, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted
supernumerary meaning in Tamil and Sanskrit
supernumerary in Tamil
- தேவைக்குமிகுந்த, மிகை ஆள், மிகைப் பொருள், மிகையான, எண்ணிக்கை மிகைப்பு
supernumerary in Sanskrit
- beyond the prescribed or standard amount
- अधिक adhika, अग्र agra
Examples of supernumerary in a sentence
- Hospital Staff.—To be Assistant Surgeons to the Forces. – Assistant Surgeons Angus John Mackay, Supernumerary in the 1st Foot; Albert Hawkins, Supernumerary in the 4th Foot; […]1856 September, “Promotions and Appointments. [War Department, Aug. 1.]”, in Colburn’s United Service Magazine, and Naval and Military...
- Ideally, the surgery is timed so that removal of the supernumerary tooth does not interfere with permanent tooth development.2013, Clifford O. Dummett, Jr.; Sarat Thikkurissy, “Anomalies of the Developing Dentition”, in Paul S. Casamassimo, Dennis J. McTigue...
- Supernumerary queens are mentioned by Riem, who asserts he has seen them killed by the labourers, as well as the males.1792 February 23, John Hunter, “VIII. Observations on Bees.”, in Philosophical Transactions. Giving Some Account of the Present...
- The number of stomachs prepared must of course depend upon the number of cheeses to be made in a season, but prudence suggests the expedience of always having a supernumerary number.1851, Martin Doyle [pseudonym; William Hickey], W[illiam Lewis] Rham, “CHEESE”, in A Cyclopædia of Practical Husbandry and Rural Affairs in...
Synonyms of supernumerary
Forms of supernumerary
| plural | supernumeraries |
|---|
Origin of supernumerary
From Late Latin supernumerarius (“extra soldier added to a legion; supernumerary”), from super (“above; beyond”) + numerus (“number; collection, quantity”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns or numerals). The word is analysable as super- + numeral + -ary.
Words formed from supernumerary
Phrases with supernumerary
Questions about supernumerary
- What does supernumerary mean?
- Supernumerary means a person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
- What is supernumerary in Tamil?
- Supernumerary in Tamil is தேவைக்குமிகுந்த, மிகை ஆள், மிகைப் பொருள். See Supernumerary meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use supernumerary in a sentence?
- Hospital Staff.—To be Assistant Surgeons to the Forces. – Assistant Surgeons Angus John Mackay, Supernumerary in the 1st Foot; Albert Hawkins, Supernumerary in the 4th Foot; […]
- What part of speech is supernumerary?
- Supernumerary can be a noun or an adjective.
- How do you pronounce supernumerary?
- Supernumerary is pronounced /ˌsuːpəˈnjuːm(ə)ɹ(ə)ɹi/ (UK).
- What is the plural of supernumerary?
- The plural of supernumerary is supernumeraries.
Words near supernumerary in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: supernumerary (page history and authors); supernumerary (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-supernumerary.wav.
Cite this entry: “supernumerary.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/supernumerary. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.