What does overabundance mean?
Overabundance is a formal noun for a supply that is greater than is needed, useful, or desirable. It can describe material resources, such as food, water, or consumer goods, as well as abstract quantities, such as information, opportunities, or words. The word often suggests that abundance has become excessive: the problem lies not in obtaining something but in managing, using, or selecting it. An overabundance of products may lead to waste and weaken competition, while an overabundance of information can make communication more difficult. Although “overabundance” is related to “abundance,” it carries a distinctly negative implication. It is especially common in editorial, academic, economic, and environmental writing, where writers wish to emphasize imbalance, unintended consequences, or the limits of a supposedly beneficial condition.
nounAn excessive or more than plentiful supply of something. It often implies that the quantity is so great that it becomes difficult to manage or undesirable.
- An excessive quantity of something.
- The condition of having more than is needed or desirable.
"The overabundance of cheap goods has made it harder for small businesses to compete."
"An overabundance of rain caused the seedlings to rot."
"The editor cut several sections because the draft suffered from an overabundance of detail."
Usually used in the plural when referring to instances of excessive supply, though the singular is also common.
"The policy was designed to address overabundances of institutional power."
Sometimes the problem is not finding enough, but having far more than you can use.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does overabundance come from?
The word combines the prefix over-, meaning “too much” or “beyond a proper amount,” with abundance, which derives from Latin abundantia, from abundare, “to be plentiful.” The compound overabundance developed in the 19th century as a way of describing a supply that exceeded what was needed. Its meaning and usage parallel the older word superabundance, and it shares its Latin root with abundant and abundantly.
Related word forms
How overabundance is actually used
The term is relatively formal and usually conveys a negative or cautionary judgement. It is more common in editorial, academic, and economic contexts than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with overabundance
A surplus is an amount remaining after needs have been met, whereas an overabundance suggests that the supply is excessive in itself.