superimpose

American  

[soo-per-im-pohz] / ˌsu pər ɪmˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

superimposes, present (3rd person singular) superimposed, past participle, past superimposing present participle

1. to impose, place, or set over, above, or on something else.

2. to put or join as an addition (usually followed by on orupon ).

3. to display or print (an image or text) over another image so that both are visible at once.

   You can superimpose open captions on your videos with this free software.

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superimpose British  

/ ˌsuːpərɪmˈpəʊz /

verb

1. to set or place on or over something else

2. to add (to)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superimposition
  noun
• superimposable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• superimposing
  present
• superimposed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• superimpose
  simple
• superimposes
  simple
• have superimposed
  perfect
• has superimposed
  perfect
• am superimposing
  progressive
• are superimposing
  progressive
• is superimposing
  progressive
• have been superimposing
  perfect progressive
• has been superimposing
  perfect progressive

Past

• superimposed
  simple
• had superimposed
  perfect
• was superimposing
  progressive
• were superimposing
  progressive
• had been superimposing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will superimpose
  simple
• will have superimposed
  perfect
• will be superimposing
  progressive
• will have been superimposing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of superimpose

First recorded in 1785–95; super- + impose

Explanation

Superimpose means laying one thing on top of another. It's often used to describe images in a photo collage — like the superimposed image of a skyscraper on the surface of the moon. The verb superimpose is typically used in graphics or photography to describe how images can be put on top of one another for dramatic effect. Use it also to show adding your own take on something, or when you try to have an impact on someone's behavior: "She tried to superimpose her ideas of perfection onto the lazy habits of her children."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superimpose superimposes superimposed superimposing

It is premature to entirely superimpose Tesla’s trading patterns on SpaceX, but that is exactly what many seasoned investors are referencing as the SpaceX options market develops.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

The agency “did not want to intervene and superimpose last-minute, unvetted judgment into the process, as this could have been perceived as manipulating the data,” it said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025

Users can then superimpose the digital images onto their physical surroundings using their device.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025

She could be sweet, evil, overbearing, put-upon, thoughtful, impulsive, girlish, vulnerable or manipulative and superimpose selected qualities for extra complexity, always with a compressed energy, obvious or veiled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2024

Very early, however, the gringo church in our neighborhood began to superimpose itself on our family life.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

The most elucidating superimposes a Pietà by Anne-Louis Girodet, David’s little-known pupil, over David’s “Marat.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

A $25 coffee cup for sale on the site features his mugshot and his inmate number: P01135809, another superimposes his mugshot over a list of the criminal charges he now faces in four separate cases.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

Gretchen Bender superimposes potent phrases or ideas onto television screens blaring out the usual stream of nonsense, drivel and enticement.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2023

In “Always Crashing in the Same Car,” he superimposes the territory of success onto a map of Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2021

Then the Apostle superimposes upon this another metaphor.

From Expositions of Holy Scripture Second Corinthians, Galatians, and Philippians Chapters I to End. Colossians, Thessalonians, and First Timothy. by Maclaren, Alexander

Much like a person's left and right hands mirror one another but cannot be perfectly superimposed, many biological structures have a preferred orientation.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

"They are mirror images of each other, but you need a different glove for each. If you had two left-handed gloves, it wouldn't work because your hands can't be superimposed on top of one another."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

A flash of superimposed text identifies them as “*Very certified*, extremely serious ballet experts.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

Jurors cleared Barton, now of Widnes, Cheshire, over the commentary analogy with the Wests but ruled the superimposed image was grossly offensive.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025

Drawings were often superimposed randomly, perhaps because new images were necessary before each hunt.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell

"Others appear to be an image manipulated manually, often by superimposing indicators of damage or another change on a satellite image that had no such details to begin with," he said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 9, 2026

Hence, Shirley’s Central American vacation video generated many versions of a meme superimposing his image on stills from the show's prison arc.

From Salon ● May 7, 2025

Murnau pioneered some early special effects, including superimposing the image of Nosferatu on to a ship to create a frightening ghostly glow, Eggers goes for an earthy take, grounded in history and reality.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2024

The image became an instant meme with people superimposing the stallion into shots from “The Shining,” “Alien 3” and any other movie where this horse’s malevolent visage actually made sense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2024

And he, being a clever fellow, declared it was easy enough— a mere question of care in superimposing the negatives.

From The White Wolf and Other Fireside Tales by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir