extraneous
What does "extraneous" mean?
"Extraneous" refers to something that is not relevant or essential to the matter at hand. Imagine you are trying to bake a cake and someone starts dumping handfuls of glitter into the batter; the glitter is extraneous because it serves no purpose for the cake’s structure or flavor and, in fact, doesn't belong there at all. This word is most often used in formal or academic contexts to describe information, details, or variables that clutter a situation. You will frequently hear it in phrases like "extraneous information" or "extraneous noise," which suggests that the thing being discussed is a distraction from the core goal.
"extraneous" in conversation
Editing a research paper
You need to cut the last two paragraphs.
You need to cut the last two paragraphs.
Are they too confusing?
Are they too confusing?
No, they are simply extraneous to your primary argument.
No, they are simply extraneous to your primary argument.
Used here to describe content that doesn't support the main point.
Discussing a noisy workspace
I can't concentrate with all this background music.
I can't concentrate with all this background music.
I thought it would help, but maybe it's just extraneous noise.
I thought it would help, but maybe it's just extraneous noise.
Used to describe sensory input that distracts from a task.
"extraneous" in a sentence
Please remove all extraneous information from the report.
Please remove all extraneous information from the report.
The detective ignored the extraneous details and focused on the motive.
The detective ignored the extraneous details and focused on the motive.
Scientific experiments must be carefully controlled to eliminate any extraneous variables.
Scientific experiments must be carefully controlled to eliminate any extraneous variables.
