supernumerary
adjective

- exceeding what is necessary, required, or desired

- not enumerated among the regular components of a group and especially of a military organization

Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "supernumerary" originates from the Latin supernumerarius, a combination of super, meaning "above" or "beyond" and numerus, meaning number. Essentially, the term means "beyond the number" or "excess in number”.

In English, "supernumerary" is used to refer to something that exceeds the necessary or usual number, often describing additional or surplus people, items, or elements. For example, in theater or film, a supernumerary is someone who appears on stage or in scenes but does not have a significant role or speaking part—essentially, an extra.

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FROM "SUPER" TO SUPERFICIAL

When everything is 'super', nothing is. Like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy, the word 'super' has faded through overuse into invisibility.

In an attempt to make everything sound exceptional, marketers have accomplished exactly the opposite. Walk down any supermarket aisle: superfoods, super-vitamins, super-cleaners. Open any app store: super-deals, super-savings, super-bundles. The word has become so diluted that companies are now stacking superlatives upon superlatives: "super premium," "super deluxe," and "super ultimate."

Consider TikTok's "super followers" feature or Meta's "super" messaging capabilities. These aren't truly revolutionary offerings; they're just ordinary functions dressed up to appear exciting.

Overused words eventually become invisible – they stop triggering any response in our brains. Genuine excellence doesn't need hyperbolic labeling; it speaks for itself. Only if we reserve powerful words for truly extraordinary things will they retain their impact.

Unfortunately, "super" has lost its power; we'll be needing to use other words to describe that which is remarkable or exciting. For the time being, we quite like these 7 adjectives: bedazzling, breathtaking, ecstatic, enthralling, exhilarating, scintillating, and spellbinding. How about you?

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

accessory, added, additional, adjunct, alternative, an extra, ancillary, another, another couple of something, appendage, auxiliary, backup, beyond, buffer, collateral, complementary, dispensable, extra, extraneous, fifth wheel, fill-in, filler, in excess (reserve, surplus), more, more than enough, nonessential, optional, over and above, peripheral, reinforcement, replacement, reserve, residual, residuary, secondary, spare (tyre, wheel), standby, sub, subordinate, subsidiary, substitute, supererogatory, superfluous, SUPERNUMERARY, supplemental, supplementary, surplus, surplus to requirements, unnecessary, unneeded, unrequired, waiting in the wings

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“When editing my first drafts, I invariably cut out SUPERNUMERARY words and phrases.”

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