extraneous

Etymology

From Latin extrāneus (“from without, strange”). Doublet of strange. Cognate with estrange (verb), Spanish extraño.

adj

1. Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign
   to separate gold from extraneous matter
   Extraneous substances were found on my cup of water.
2. Not essential or intrinsic
   If the Government believes that part of the railways' salvation is to be found in ridding them of extraneous concerns, it should have had the courage either to close the railway works down as quickly as possible, or to hive them off as an entirely separate concern, …. 1964 May, “News and Comment: Minister hamstrings BR workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 291