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A.Word.A.Day--supererogatory

This week's theme: Miscellaneous words

supererogatory (soo-puhr-uh-ROG-uh-tor-ee) adjective

1. Going beyond the call of duty.
2. Superfluous.

[From Latin supererogare (to pay over and above), from super- (above) + erogare (to spend), from rogare (to ask). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, and surge.]

"Houses signal they are participating with a jack-o-lantern on the porch or in the window, rendering police signs supererogatory."
Sarah Churchwell; It's a Treat, Not a Trick; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 29, 2007.

See more usage examples of supererogatory in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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