- surplus
- ▪ I. surplus sur‧plus 1 [ˈsɜːpləs ǁ ˈsɜːr-] noun1. [countable, uncountable] ECONOMICS an amount of something that is more than what is wanted, needed, or used:
• Sugar prices fell after revised estimates of the surplus for the current crop year.
surplus of• There is a current housing surplus of approximately 500,000 properties.
ˈbudget ˌsurplus [countable] ECONOMICSwhen spending, usually by a government, is less than the amount of money received in taxes or other income during a particular period:• The government, which is running a healthy budget surplus (= is spending much less than it is receiving ) , must spend billions of dollars to build apartments, roads, and other infrastructure.
ˈcapital ˌsurplus1. [countable] ECONOMICS FINANCE when a company or country has more money for investment than it needs:• It makes financial sense to borrow in capital surplus countries and lend to countries where capital is relatively scarce.
2. [countable] INSURANCE the difference between the amount of money received by insurers from customers paying for policies, and the amount paid out for claims:• They must report a $70 million capital surplus next year or face closure by state regulators.
conˈsumer ˌsurplus also ˈbuyers' ˌsurplus[uncountable] ECONOMICS the amount of money someone is willing to pay for something, minus the amount they actually paid for it:• If you would be willing to spend £2,000 on a holiday, and paid £1,200, you would be obtaining £800 of consumer surplus.
2. [countable, uncountable] FINANCE in mutual S (= insurance companies etc that do not have shareholders) the profit for a particular period of time, or from several periods of time, that has not been paid out to members:• The life insurance company had capital and surplus totaling $459.2 million.
3. [countable] FINANCE in insurance companies and pension fund S, the amount by which the money held is more than they have to pay out in claims or pensions:• The steelworks pensioners joined the fight to get a share of a £300 million British Steel pension surplus.
4. [countable] also balance of payments surplus or external surplus ECONOMICS the amount by which the money coming into a country is more than the money going out in a particular period of time:• A country that has a balance of payments surplus may receive payment from the debtor's foreign exchange reserves.
a surplus related to imports and exports, rather than other payments:• We must rebuild manufacturing so as to generate a balance of trade surplus.
trade surplus with• China has enjoyed a trade surplus with Japan.
[m0] ▪ II. surplus surplus 2 adjectivemore than is needed or wanted:• Many businesses relocated, surplus space having become available because of the recession.
• Those employees will become surplus, and costly to retain.
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The difference occurring when income or revenue is greater than expenditure. Opposite of deficit.► See also Deficit.* * *
Ⅰ.surplus UK US /ˈsɜːpləs/ noun [C or U]► an amount that is more than is needed: a surplus of sth »The plant had a surplus of components.
► ACCOUNTING, ECONOMICS the amount of money that you have left when you sell more than you buy, or spend less than you receive: »The savings will create a surplus of a little more than $24 million.
»The overall gap continues to reflect a deficit in the trade of goods and a surplus in services.
→ See also BUDGET SURPLUS(Cf. ↑budget surplus), BUYER'S SURPLUS(Cf. ↑buyer's surplus), CONSUMER SURPLUS(Cf. ↑consumer surplus), STRUCTURAL SURPLUS(Cf. ↑structural surplus), TRADE SURPLUS(Cf. ↑trade surplus)Ⅱ.surplus UK US /ˈsɜːpləs/ adjective► more than is needed or used: »As the economy slowed, companies that had invested surplus funds in the stock market found their returns dwindling.
»The form of the payout of surplus cash to investors will be revealed in May.
Financial and business terms. 2012.
