extraneous applies to what is on or comes from the outside and may or may not be capable of becoming an essential part.

EXTRANEOUS definition: introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign. See examples of extraneous used in a sentence.

EXTRANEOUS meaning: 1. not directly connected with or related to something: 2. not directly connected with or related…. Learn more.

Extraneous things are not relevant or essential to the situation you are involved in or the subject you are talking about.

Extraneous means coming from the outside, like the extraneous noise you hear when you're in a theater and a train passes by. Extraneous can also mean not relevant or essential, like all the extraneous …

1. introduced or coming from without; not forming an essential or proper part: extraneous substances in our water. 2. not pertinent; irrelevant: an extraneous remark.

Definition of extraneous adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective extraneous, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Dec 14, 2025 · extraneous (not comparable) Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign.

Some common synonyms of extraneous are alien, extrinsic, and foreign. While all these words mean "external to a thing, its essential nature, or its original character," extraneous applies to what is on or …