superior
See also: Superior
English
Alternative forms
- superiour (British) (obsolete)
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Old French superiour, from Latin superior (“higher, upper”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /suːˈpɪə.ɹi.ə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /sʊˈpɪɹ.i.əɹ/
- (New Zealand) IPA(key): /sʉːˈpɪə.ɹiː.ə/, /sə-/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪəɹiə(ɹ)
Adjective
superior (not comparable)
- Higher in rank, status, or quality.
- Rebecca had always thought shorts were far superior to pants, as they didn't constantly make her legs itch.
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:
- There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs, […], and all these articles […] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.
- 2022 January 12, David Clough, “From Germany with love: a Warship perspective”, in RAIL, number 948, page 46:
- Additionally, reliability proved to be superior to NBL's design, with an average of 120,000 miles run during 1959.
- Of high standard or quality.
- Greater in size or power.
- (superior to) Beyond the power or influence of; too great or firm to be subdued or affected by.
- 1711 December 12 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison; Richard Steele [et al.], “SATURDAY, December 1, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 237; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, OCLC 191120697:
- There is not in earth a spectacle more worthy […] than a brave man superior to his sufferings.
-
- Greater or better than average.
- Synonym: extraordinary
- Courageously or serenely indifferent (as to something painful or disheartening).
- (typography) Printed in superscript.
- a superior figure or letter
- Located above or out; higher in position.
- the superior jaw; the superior part of an image
- (anatomy, medicine) Located above or higher, a direction that in humans corresponds to cephalad.
- (botany) (of a calyx) Above the ovary; said of parts of the flower which, although normally below the ovary, adhere to it, and so appear to originate from its upper part.
- (botany) (of an ovary) Above and free from the other floral organs.
- (botany) Belonging to the part of an axillary flower which is toward the main stem.
- Synonym: posterior
- (botany) (of the radicle) Pointing toward the apex of the fruit.
- Synonym: ascending
- (taxonomy) More comprehensive.
- A genus is superior to a species.
- Affecting or assuming an air of superiority.
- Synonym: supercilious
- (astronomy) (of a planet) Closer to the Earth than to the Sun.
Usage notes
- Superior and inferior are generally followed by to; than is sometimes used mistakenly.
- Other English words coming from Latin comparative forms are interior, exterior, ulterior, major, minor, as well as inferior, junior, senior, anterior, posterior and prior, the last six of which (along with superior) have retained their comparative meaning in English. For other English terms ultimately from Latin comparatives formed with -us, see e.g. plus and minus.
Antonyms
- inferior
Coordinate terms
- (dentistry location adjectives) anterior, apical, apicocoronal, axial, buccal, buccoapical, buccocervical, buccogingival, buccolabial, buccolingual, bucco-occlusal, buccopalatal, cervical, coronal, coronoapical, distal, distoapical, distobuccal, distocervical, distocoronal, distofacial, distogingival, distoincisal, distolingual, disto-occlusal, distoclusal, distocclusal, distopalatal, facial, gingival, incisal, incisocervical, inferior, labial, lingual, linguobuccal, linguo-occlusal, mandibular, maxillary, mesial, mesioapical, mesiobuccal, mesiocervical, mesiocoronal, mesiodistal, mesiofacial, mesioincisal, mesiogingival, mesiolingual, mesio-occlusal, mesioclusal, mesiocclusal, mesiopalatal, occlusal, palatal, posterior, proximal, superior, vestibular (Category: en:Dentistry) [edit]
Derived terms
- anterior superior iliac spine
- anterosuperior
- father superior
- Lake Superior
- laterosuperior
- limit superior
- mediosuperior
- mother superior, Mother Superior
- nonsuperior
- posterior superior alveolar artery
- posterosuperior
- superior alveolar nerve
- superior auricular muscle
- superior cerebellar artery
- superior cervical ganglion
- superior colliculus
- superior court
- superioress
- superior good
- superior highly composite number
- superiority
- superiorization
- superior laryngeal artery
- superior laryngeal nerve
- superior letter
- superiorly
- superiormost
- superiorness
- superior oblique muscle
- superior olivary complex
- superior orbital fissure
- superior petrosal sinus
- superior pharyngeal constrictor
- superior planet
- superior rectus
- superior sagittal sinus
- superiorship
- superior tarsal muscle
- superior thyroid artery
- superior vena cava
- supero-
- temporosuperior
Related terms
- auricularis superior
- Homo superior
- levator labii superioris
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasi
- levator palpebrae superioris
- respondeat superior
Translations
higher in rank or quality
|
extraordinary
|
located above
|
Noun
superior (plural superiors)
- A person of higher rank or quality, especially a colleague in a higher position.
- Synonym: overling
- The senior person in a monastic community.
- The head of certain religious institutions and colleges.
- Hyponyms: father superior, mother superior
- (printing) A superior letter, figure, or symbol.
- Synonym: superscript
- (Scotland, law, historical) One who has made an original grant of heritable property to a tenant or vassal, on condition of a certain annual payment (feu duty) or of the performance of certain services.
Translations
person of higher rank
|
References
- “superior”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “superior”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
- superior in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- superior at OneLook Dictionary Search
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin superior, attested from 1653.[1]
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /su.pə.ɾiˈo/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /su.pe.ɾiˈoɾ/
Adjective
superior (masculine and feminine plural superiors)
- superior, higher, high
- Antonym: inferior
Related terms
- superioritat
Noun
superior m or f (plural superiors)
- superior
References
- “superior”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
Further reading
- “superior” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “superior” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “superior” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Latin
Etymology
Comparative of superus (“that is above, upper, higher”), from super (“above, over”, preposition) + -us (adjectival suffix).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /suˈpe.ri.or/, [s̠ʊˈpɛriɔr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /suˈpe.ri.or/, [suˈpɛːrior]
Adjective
superior (neuter superius); third declension
- comparative degree of superus
- (of place) Higher, upper.
- (of time or order of succession) Former, past, previous, preceding.
- (especially of age, time of life, etc.) Older, elder, senior, more advanced, former.
- (of strength or success in battle or any contest) Victorious, conquering, stronger, superior.
- (of quality, condition, number, etc.) Higher, more distinguished, greater, superior.
Inflection
Third-declension comparative adjective.
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | |
| Nominative | superior | superius | superiōrēs | superiōra | |
| Genitive | superiōris | superiōrum | |||
| Dative | superiōrī | superiōribus | |||
| Accusative | superiōrem | superius | superiōrēs | superiōra | |
| Ablative | superiōre | superiōribus | |||
| Vocative | superior | superius | superiōrēs | superiōra | |
Descendants
Descendants of superior in other languages
- → Catalan: superior
- → English: superior
- French: supérieur
- Friulian: superiôr
- Galician: superior
- Italian: superiore
- Occitan: superior
- Piedmontese: superior
- Portuguese: superior
- Romanian: superior
- Spanish: superior
- Dutch: superieur
References
- “superior”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “superior”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- superior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- heights, high ground: loca edita, superiora
- last year: superiore, priore anno
- premises; consequences: prima (superiora); consequentia (Fin. 4. 19. 54)
- in his former consulship: superiore consulatu
- to gain a weak case by clever pleading: causam inferiorem dicendo reddere superiorem (λόγον κρείττω ποιειν) (Brut. 8. 30)
- to occupy the high ground: occupare loca superiora
- to have the advantage in cavalry: equitatu superiorem esse
- to come off victorious: superiorem (opp. inferiorem), victorem (proelio, pugna) discedere
- heights, high ground: loca edita, superiora
Occitan
Etymology
From Latin superior.
Adjective
superior m (feminine singular superiora, masculine plural superiors, feminine plural superioras)
- superior
Related terms
- superioritat
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin superiōrem.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /su.pe.ɾiˈoʁ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoh], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoʁ/ [su.peˈɾjoh]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /su.pe.ɾiˈoɾ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoɾ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoɾ/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /su.pe.ɾiˈoʁ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoχ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoʁ/ [su.peˈɾjoχ]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /su.pe.ɾiˈoɻ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoɻ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoɻ/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /su.pɨˈɾjoɾ/
- Hyphenation: su‧pe‧ri‧or
Adjective
superior m or f (plural superiores)
- upper, higher
- better
- superior
Antonyms
- inferior
Derived terms
- superiormente
Related terms
- superioridade
Noun
superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)
- boss
- head of a monastery
Further reading
- “superior” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French supérieur, Latin superior.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌsu.pe.riˈor/
Adjective
superior m or n (feminine singular superioară, masculine plural superiori, feminine and neuter plural superioare)
- superior
Declension
Declension of superior
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
| nominative/ accusative | indefinite | superior | superioară | superiori | superioare | ||
| definite | superiorul | superioara | superiorii | superioarele | |||
| genitive/ dative | indefinite | superior | superioare | superiori | superioare | ||
| definite | superiorului | superioarei | superiorilor | superioarelor | |||
Antonyms
- inferior
Related terms
- superioritate
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin superior.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /supeˈɾjoɾ/ [su.peˈɾjoɾ]
- Rhymes: -oɾ
- Syllabification: su‧pe‧rior
Adjective
superior (plural superiores)
- upper, higher
- better
- superior
Derived terms
- anterosuperior
- corte superior
- elevador del párpado superior
- letra superior
- límite superior
- paso superior
- posterosuperior
- raza superior
- superiormente
- vena cava superior
Noun
superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)
- boss
- Synonyms: jefe, jefa, patrón, patrona
Related terms
- superioridad
Further reading
- “superior”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014