supernumerary 1 of 2

adjective

ˌsü-pər-ˈnü-mə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce supernumerary (audio)
Definition of supernumerarynext
as in extra
being over what is needed a third, supernumerary witness to the signing of the will

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

supernumerary

2 of 2

noun

as in walk-on

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of supernumerary
Adjective
This is not the pruning of a smattering of supernumerary employees, these are entire branches of the CDC felled. — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 The Lucid Air launched to supernumerary acclaim, boasting nearly four-figure horsepower and over 500 miles of range. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2023 Roboticists in Canada, from the Université de Sherbrooke, in Quebec, have been developing supernumerary robotic limbs that are designed to explore what humans can do with three arms, or even three legs. — Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2020
Noun
One of West Hartford’s earlier patrol officers, Martin McCue, started as a part-time supernumerary in 1929 and became a full-time officer a year later. — Don Stacom, courant.com, 12 Nov. 2020 Broken into six-hour installments spaced out over two weeks, the hallucinatory concert extravaganza is being custom tailored, with local musicians, guest artists and glittery supernumeraries brought in for the occasion. — Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 14 Mar. 2018 History will be merciless to them, but how much fun to watch them reduced to thunderstruck supernumeraries in real time. — Frank Rich, Daily Intelligencer, 13 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supernumerary
  1. extra
  2. walk-on
  3. surplus
  4. spear-carrier
  5. excess
  6. costar
  7. spare
  8. double
Adjective
  • An extra $6,000 or $29,000 in gains over a decade won’t replace a lost job.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In 2003, however, Kember made a splash with Forged Prescriptions, a re-release that favored fuller mixes and extra overdubs which the band had jettisoned owing to the difficulty of reproducing them.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of extra
Noun
  • Pegg earns scholarship Hayden Pegg joined the UConn football program as a preferred walk-on in 2023.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Hoch, who was a walk-on in 2023, leads the team with three touchdowns this season and will enter his fourth matchup against the Bulldogs.
    — Niles Hall, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of walk-on
Adjective
  • Arthur Richardson founded the company in 1947 to sell surplus military vacuum tubes to the fledgling television and radio industries.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Fernandez agreed to join the others on maintaining the city’s tax rate if households could receive a partial refund on their garbage fees from the city’s surplus funds.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of surplus
Noun
  • Simpson emerged as a spear-carrier for Social Security benefit cuts in 2010, when he was appointed the GOP co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, established by Barack Obama as a sop to conservative deficit hawks.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of spear-carrier
Adjective
  • On-site solar panels capture renewable energy during daylight, while high-capacity batteries store excess power for later use.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The new definition, developed by an international panel of medical experts convened by the medical journal The Lancet, requires evidence of both excess body fat and related health problems or limitations in daily activities.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of excess
Noun
  • The actor, who stars alongside Kidman in Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness, recently revealed during an interview on One On One with Kris Fade how his costar encouraged him to take a chance and reach out to Sheridan about joining the cast of Landman.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 9 Oct. 2026
  • As Edie, the sister of one of Brando’s fellow dock workers who is murdered, Saint radiated a palpable chemistry with her costar, the characters’ burgeoning romance undeniable.
    — Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of costar
Adjective
  • My version consists of a Raspberry Pi and a handful of spare bits.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • France's education ministry is in the process of urgently contacting around 3,000 spare teachers who could be sent to schools with the most pressing needs, often located in low-income areas, said Education Minister Edouard Geffray.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of spare
Noun
  • Padma Khanna and other doubles performed some of the dances instead of Kumari, which made the continuity puzzle harder.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.
    — Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of double

Browse Nearby Words

supernumeraries
supernumerary
superordinate
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Cite this Entry

“Supernumerary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supernumerary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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