Make Your Point: EXTRANEOUS

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pronounce EXTRANEOUS:

eck STRAY nee yuss

connect this word to others:

Have you ever been snacking on Goldfish when you suddenly find one that's two fish morphed together? Every time I find one, I can't help but laugh at the weirdness. I get the same amusement from stumbling on doublets.

Doublets are pairs of lookalike words from the same root that have evolved their own spellings and their own meanings, like cloak and clock, rebel and revel, com____sant (meaning "happy to do what other people ask") and com___cent (meaning "overly pleased with yourself while ignorant of dangers"), and strange and extraneous.

Both strange and extraneous trace back to the Latin extraneus, which means "external, from the outside, or foreign." Let's explore that!

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

In its literal sense, "extraneous" is pretty much Latin for "external, or (coming from) the outside."

And that's very close to how we use it today! When we call something extraneous, we usually mean it's extra, unnecessary, irrelevant, and not essential, as if it's outside the scope of the situation and ought to stay out of it.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "She kept bringing up extraneous details."

Other forms:

The adverb is "extraneously."

And the noun is "extraneousness." (Not "extraneity," sadly. But let's see if we can make "extraneity" catch on.)

how to use it:

Pick the common, formal word "extraneous" to label anything that annoys you because it's been added in for no good reason.

You might talk about tiresome, extraneous details in a story or a description; or annoying, extraneous subplots in a novel or a movie; or extraneous, inappropriate comments or testimony during a trial.

You can also complain that something is extraneous to the main topic or situation, as in "His stories aren't just boring; they're extraneous to the purpose of the meeting."

examples:

"He knew he couldn't tell stories, that he always included extraneous details and tangents that interested only him."
— John Green, An Abundance of Katherines, 2006

"And the concerto's string parts — which come across as extraneous in some readings — sounded fully integrated here, whether in moments of plucked frenzy in the second movement or in swooning melodic accompaniment, in the third."
— Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 18 November 2022

has this page helped you understand "extraneous"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "extraneous" without saying "off-topic" or "beside the point."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some kind of food, music, or show) often has extraneous (stuff)."

Example 1: "When a music video opens with extraneous dramatic scenes, I skip ahead to the song."

Example 2: "Oatmeal often sports nuts, seeds, dried fruits, extraneous sweeteners and what have you, but rice pudding has more of a simplicity."
— Michael La Corte, Salon, 27 September 2023

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for May is "Color Your Own Colloquialism."

I'll give you the outline of a colloquialism, from English or translated from another language, along with its definition, and you create your own version of it. Your version can be goofy, straightforward, or unrepeatable in polite company: just have fun with it! To see the real version of the colloquialism, scroll all the way down.

Try this one today:

Meaning: "If you wake up early, you can get a lot done."

Outline: "The morning hour has (something wonderful) in its (container of some sort)."

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of EXTRANEOUS is

A. INSTANTANEOUS: right away.
B. INTRANEOUS: coming from within.
C. MISCELLANEOUS: made up of different kinds.

2. In Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, a well-spoken character says, "And what good are you? A sharpshooter without his guns. You're completely extraneous _____ this mission."

A. in
B. to
C. for

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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