surplus value

noun

: the difference in Marxist theory between the value of work done or of commodities produced by labor and the usually subsistence wages paid by the employer

Examples of surplus value in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One rival club’s model, taking into account age, service time, positional value and other factors, ranks Griffin’s surplus value the highest of any position player and Pirates teammate Paul Skenes’ the highest of any pitcher. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026

So in some states, the process for recovering surplus value can be very cumbersome or time-limited or poorly communicated. —Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 13 Jan. 2026

If Bitcoin does keep appreciating, Strategy will be able to keep obtaining credit against the surplus value in the same way a company can do with real estate in a desirable market. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025

In both cases, the purchase of labor-power is intended for production of surplus value by means of the production of commodities. —Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025

Not with a thoughtful plan to distribute surplus value to all of humanity but with Elon Musk purchasing the Atlantic Ocean. —Reuven Perlman, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surplus value

• eigenvalue
• undervalue