superiority
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of superiority
First recorded in 1520–30, superiority is from the Medieval Latin word superiōritāt- (stem of superiōritās ). See superior, -ity
Explanation
Superiority is the quality of being better than or superior to someone else. Your superiority in the sack race won you a first-place ribbon. Superiority refers to the best. It’s better than, above, greater than everything else, whether there’s something to compare it to — the superiority of one ice cream flavor over another — or whether it just describes a general state of high quality — the superiority of the University library. Of course, sometimes superiority is all in your head; in that case, some people might say you have a superiority complex, which means that you think you’re better than everyone else!
Vocabulary lists containing superiority
Power Prefix: super-
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Trumps
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"Marita's Bargain," Vocabulary from the essay
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Ukraine is on a much more solid footing because of the technological superiority that they’ve got,” noted Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The French wanted a "small, light fighter" that could take off from its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, whereas the Germans wanted a bigger jet that could offer "air superiority", said Rusi's Christoph Bergs.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The Lionesses needed Iceland to do them a favour in the other group match, but Spain showed their superiority in Reykjavik with a thumping 6-1 victory.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The cost of maintaining military superiority is rising as technological innovation accelerates, even as traditional military capital like tanks, ships, and aircraft become more vulnerable and depreciate faster.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Zalmay waved at him distractedly while talking with the sales assistant about the superiority of Myst over Civilization.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
