Extraneous — Ex*tra ne*ous, a. [L. extraneus, from extra. See {Extra }, {Strange}.] Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; not essential or intrinsic; foreign; as, to separate gold from extraneous matter. [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
extraneous — [adj1] unneeded; irrevelant accidental, additional, adventitious, beside the point, extra, foreign, immaterial, impertinent, inadmissible, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, incidental, inessential, needless, nonessential, off the subject,… … New thesaurus
extraneous — [ek strā′nē əs, ikstrā′nē əs] adj. [L extraneus, external, foreign < extra: see EXTRA ] 1. coming from outside; foreign [an extraneous substance] 2. not truly or properly belonging; not essential 3. not pertinent; irrelevant SYN. EXTRINSIC… … English World dictionary
extraneous — 1630s, from L. extraneus external, strange, from extra outside of (see EXTRA (Cf. extra )) … Etymology dictionary
extraneous — *extrinsic, foreign, alien Analogous words: external, exterior, outside, *outer, outward: adventitious, *accidental, incidental Antonyms: relevant Contrasted words: intrinsic, inherent, ingrained, constitutional: intestine, internal, inner,… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
extraneous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) irrelevant or unrelated to the subject. 2) of external origin. DERIVATIVES extraneously adverb extraneousness noun. ORIGIN Latin extraneus … English terms dictionary
extraneous — exterior, external, extraneous, extrinsic 1. The four words are related, and all have meanings based on outside. Exterior and external both refer to the outside of things in contrast to the inside • (Most manufacturers describe their exterior… … Modern English usage
extraneous — adjective Etymology: Latin extraneus more at strange Date: 1638 1. existing on or coming from the outside < extraneous light > 2. a. not forming an essential or vital part < extraneous ornamentation > b. having no relevance < an extrane … New Collegiate Dictionary
extraneous — extraneously, adv. extraneousness, n. /ik stray nee euhs/, adj. 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;… … Universalium
extraneous — ex|tra|ne|ous [ıkˈstreıniəs] adj formal [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: extraneus foreign, strange , from extra; EXTRA ] 1.) not belonging to or directly related to a particular subject or problem = ↑irrelevant extraneous to ▪ Such details are … Dictionary of contemporary English
