冗長

• Reading: じょうちょう
• Romaji: jōchō
• Kanji breakdown: 冗 (jō) — superfluous, excess; 長 (chō) — long
• Pronunciation: /dʑoːtɕoː/

Meaning

Verbose; redundant; excessively wordy; padded with unnecessary content.

A na-adjective (冗長な) or noun describing writing, speech, or processes that are needlessly long-winded. In IT and engineering, it can also mean 'redundant' in the sense of backup redundancy (though 冗長性 is the more technical form). The literary sense carries a clearly negative connotation.

Examples

1. この報告書は冗長で、要点が見えにくい。 This report is verbose, making it hard to see the main points.
2. 冗長な説明を避け、簡潔にまとめてください。 Please avoid redundant explanations and summarize concisely.
3. 冗長なコードはメンテナンスを困難にする。 Redundant code makes maintenance difficult.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, editing, business, programming

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From 冗 (superfluous, useless) and 長 (long). 冗 originally described an extra official position without real duties — something present but unnecessary.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated