redundancies

IPA/rɪˈdʌn.dən.si/
KK[rɪdˈʌndənsiz]IPA/rɪˈdʌn.dən.si/

redundancies — noun

  • redundanciessingular
  • redundanciesesplural

1. when a company lets employees go because their positions have disappeared, not b

1.名詞B2
釋義

when a company lets employees go because their positions have disappeared, not because of poor performance or misconduct

例句

The company announced 200 redundancies after losing its biggest client.

countable: '200 redundancies' as a specific number

Vinícius faced redundancy when the factory installed automated packing machines.

British usage; 'face redundancy' as a common collocation

同義詞
  • layoff

    more common in American English; may include temporary or performance-related dismissals

  • dismissal

    broader term that includes firing for cause, not just job disappearance

反義詞
  • recruitment

    the opposite — hiring new staff to fill needed positions

  • hiring

    the process of bringing new people into the organisation

文法句型

redundancies in + [sector/company]

make/take + redundancies

用法筆記

In British English, this is the standard term for losing a job when the position disappears. In American English, 'layoff' or 'furlough' is more common.

常見錯誤

The company made redundancies because the workers were lazy.
The company made redundancies because the factory closed down.
💡Redundancies happen when jobs are no longer needed, not because of employee performance.

2. the quality of being more than what is needed, so that the extra amount serves n

2.名詞B2
釋義

the quality of being more than what is needed, so that the extra amount serves no purpose

例句

There is a great deal of redundancy in the government's overlapping welfare programmes.

formal register; 'redundancy in + [system/programme]'

Jiwoo removed the redundancy from her report by cutting the repeated budget figures.

同義詞
  • superfluity

    more formal; emphasises that something exists beyond what is necessary

  • excess

    broader; may imply quantity rather than lack of purpose

反義詞
  • scarcity

    a shortage of something needed

  • necessity

    the quality of being essential or required

文法句型

a redundancy of + [noun]

redundancy in + [noun]

用法筆記

Typically used in formal or professional contexts to describe processes, systems, or documents. Often implies inefficiency or waste.

3. a fault in writing or speech where two or more words express the same idea — for

3.名詞B2
釋義

a fault in writing or speech where two or more words express the same idea — for example, saying 'added bonus' when a bonus is already extra by definition

例句

Writing 'advance warning' is a redundancy because a warning warns about the future.

pattern: 'is a redundancy' — treating the phrase itself as a redundant unit

Nia's teacher circled redundancies in her essay and asked her to remove them.

同義詞
  • tautology

    the technical term; emphasizes logical repetition of the same idea

  • pleonasm

    more technical; refers to using more words than needed

反義詞
  • concision

    the quality of expressing ideas in few words

  • brevity

    using only the words needed to communicate clearly

文法句型

redundancy of + [word/phrase]

avoid redundancy

用法筆記

Writers and editors often treat redundancies as a style error. 'ATM machine' and 'PIN number' are common modern examples where the repeated element is not immediately obvious.

常見錯誤

The phrase "each and every" is a redundancy but it sounds more formal.
The phrase "each and every" is a redundancy and should be simplified to just "each" or "every" in clear writing.
💡The mistake is thinking redundancy adds formality; in good writing, it adds wordiness without meaning.

4. the intentional inclusion of extra components or duplicate systems so that if on

4.名詞C1
釋義

the intentional inclusion of extra components or duplicate systems so that if one part fails, another can take over without interruption

例句

The aircraft's navigation system has built-in redundancy with three separate guidance computers.

'built-in redundancy' — common collocation in engineering

Noor explained that the hospital's backup generators provide redundancy for the intensive care unit.

同義詞
  • backup

    less technical; refers to a single alternative rather than a whole design principle

  • failover

    technical term for the process of switching to a backup system

反義詞

文法句型

redundancy in + [system]

build in redundancy

redundancy for + [purpose]

用法筆記

Unlike the other senses, redundancy here is a positive feature. It is a deliberate design choice rather than a waste — the extra parts exist to ensure reliability, not because they are unnecessary.

常見錯誤

Redundancy in engineering is wasteful, just like redundancy in business.
Redundancy in engineering is a safety feature
💡duplicate parts ensure the system keeps working if one part fails.' — In technical contexts, redundancy is desirable, not wasteful.