redundancy
Meaning: The state of being no longer needed or useful, especially dismissal from employment because a position is no longer required.
In British English, redundancy is primarily an employment term meaning job loss due to the role being eliminated — distinct from being sacked for poor performance. 'Being made redundant' carries less stigma than being fired. It also has technical meanings in engineering (built-in backup systems) and linguistics (unnecessary repetition). The phrase 'redundancy package' and 'voluntary redundancy' are standard in British workplace vocabulary.
Examples
- The factory announced three hundred redundancies as part of its cost-cutting programme. 作为削减成本计划的一部分,该工厂宣布裁减三百个岗位。La fábrica anunció trescientos despidos por excedencia como parte de su programa de recorte de costes.その工場はコスト削減策の一環として300人の人員整理を発表した。그 공장은 비용 절감 방안의 일환으로 300명의 인원 감축을 발표했다.
- She took voluntary redundancy and used the payout to start her own consultancy. 她接受了自愿裁员,并用补偿金创办了自己的咨询公司。Ella aceptó la baja voluntaria incentivada y utilizó la indemnización para montar su propia consultoría.彼女は希望退職に応じ、退職金を元手に自分のコンサルティング会社を立ち上げた。그녀는 희망 퇴직에 응하고 퇴직금을 밑천으로 자신의 컨설팅 회사를 차렸다.
- The engineering team built redundancy into the system to ensure it would continue operating if one component failed. 工程团队在系统中内置了冗余机制,以确保某一部件故障时系统仍能继续运行。El equipo de ingeniería incorporó redundancia al sistema para garantizar su funcionamiento en caso de fallo de un componente.エンジニアリングチームは、一つの部品が故障してもシステムが稼働し続けるよう、冗長性を組み込んだ。엔지니어링 팀은 하나의 부품이 고장 나더라도 시스템이 계속 작동하도록 이중화를 설계에 반영했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: professional, media, general
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin redundantia (an overflowing), from redundare (to overflow), from re- (back) + undare (to surge), from unda (wave). The employment sense is primarily British and became widespread in the mid-20th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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