inferiority complex

American  

[in-feer-ee-awr-i-tee kom-pleks, -or-] / ɪnˌfɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti ˌkɒm plɛks, -ˈɒr- /

noun

Psychology.

1. an intense feeling of inferiority or inadequacy; low self-esteem, sometimes characterized by compensatory behaviors intended to bolster self-confidence.

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inferiority complex British  

noun

1. psychiatry a disorder arising from the conflict between the desire to be noticed and the fear of being humiliated, characterized by aggressiveness or withdrawal into oneself

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Etymology

Origin of inferiority complex

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does inferiority-complex compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• superiority complex vs. inferiority complex

Example Sentences

"There was no inferiority complex from Grimsby, far from it. If anything it was the other way around."

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

“Becoming Karl,” which depicts the rivalry between Mr. Lagerfeld and his peer, Yves Saint Laurent, focuses on Mr. Lagerfeld’s apparently enormous inferiority complex and the two men’s rivalry for the love of Jacques de Bascher.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

“There’s so many people that have an inferiority complex about, ‘We’re the University of Houston.’

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

The public extended the idea of an inferiority complex to adults, too, and connected it with Napoleon’s historically contested stature.

From National Geographic • Nov. 22, 2023

He was a simple man who had no inferiority complex about his lack of education and, even more amazing, no superiority complex because he had succeeded despite that lack.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou