Meaning of excess In English

• 0 an amount that is more than acceptable, expected, or reasonable:

  • An excess of enthusiasm is not always a good thing.

  • They both eat to excess (= too much).

  • There will be an increase in tax for those earning in excess of (= more than) twice the national average wage.

  • For many years people were trying to escape the excesses (= cruel actions) of the junta.

  • As for shoes, her excesses (= the large number she owned) were well known.

• 1 a part of the cost of an accident, injury, etc. that you agree to pay yourself when you buy insurance:

  • She has an excess of £200 on her home insurance policy.

• 2 extra:

  • Cut off any excess pastry and put it to one side.

• 3 an amount that is more than acceptable, expected, or reasonable:

  • They both eat to excess (= a lot more than they need).

  • The company’s losses are in excess of (= more than) $5 million.

• 4 more than is necessary; too much:

  • excess baggage

• 5 an amount that is more than is needed, expected, or acceptable:

  • If you retire having saved more than £1.4m you will face a one-off 33% tax charge on the excess.

  • Any excess over these expenses represents profit attributable to shareholders.

  • excess of sth There is still, in many industries, an excess of productive capacity.

• 6 a part of the cost of an accident, injury, etc. that you agree to pay yourself when you buy insurance:

  • Cover would cost £239 a year with a £75 excess, or £215 a year with a £250 excess.

  • excess on sth The policy carries a £40 excess on most claims.

• 7 more than:

  • Last year he earned in excess of $3 million.

  • The Fund will not borrow money in excess of one-third of the value of its net assets.

• 8 more than is needed, expected, or acceptable:

  • Rents may be lower than ownership costs, meaning renters can invest the excess cash.

  • The machine can generate electricity using excess heat that would otherwise be wasted.