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extraneous

 - 3 dictionary results

ex⋅tra⋅ne⋅ous

  [ik-strey-nee-uhs]
Use extraneous in a Sentence
–adjective
1. introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign: extraneous substances in our water.
2. not pertinent; irrelevant: an extraneous remark; extraneous decoration.
Origin:
1630–40; < L extrāneus external, foreign, equiv. to extr(a)- extra- + -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous

Related forms:
ex⋅tra⋅ne⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
ex⋅tra⋅ne⋅ous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. extrinsic, adventitious, alien. 2. inappropriate, nonessential, superfluous.

Antonyms:
1. intrinsic. 2. pertinent, relevant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To extraneous
ex·tra·ne·ous   (ĭk-strā'nē-əs)   
adj.  

  1. Not constituting a vital element or part.

  2. Inessential or unrelated to the topic or matter at hand; irrelevant. See Synonyms at irrelevant.

  3. Coming from the outside: extraneous interference.


[From Latin extrāneus, from extrā, outside; see extra-.]
ex·tra'ne·ous·ly adv., ex·tra'ne·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

extraneous 
1638, from L. extraneus, from extra "outside of."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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