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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

overnumerousness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • ō'vərnyo͞oʹmərəsnəs (UK)
  • /ˌoʊvɚˈnuməɹəsnəs/ (US)
  • ō'vərno͞oʹmərəsnəs (US)
  • /ˌəʊvəˈnjuːməɹəsnəs/ (UK)

Etymology

First attested in 1890; formed as overnumerous + -ness.

Meanings

  1. (rare, uncountable) The quality or condition of being too numerous.
    • His family name is as long as the word overnumerousness and derives from a songless Latin word referring to one of the countless human virtues. 2007, Michael C. Finke, Julie W. De Sherbinin, editors, Chekhov the Immigrant, page 46:
    • Moss as “Word”: What do you call Negative One, sitting alone, in an empty room? […] Overnumerousness! 2010 July 2nd, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd IV:ii: “The Final Countdown”, 20:55–21:06
    • The city has now only three small newspapers, which are not abreast with its general progress or that of the State, chiefly because they do not receive sufficient patronage, owing to the overnumerousness of the negro population. 1890, Ellery Sedgwick (editor), Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly XXIX, page 347