superposition

American  

[soo-per-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌsu pər pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

Geology.

1. the order in which sedimentary strata are superposed one above another.

---

superposition British  

/ ˌsuːpəpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of superposing or state of being superposed

2. geology the principle that in any sequence of sedimentary rocks which has not been disturbed, the oldest strata lie at the bottom and the youngest at the top

---

superposition Scientific  

/ so̅o̅′pər-pə-zĭsh′ən /

1. The principle that in a group of stratified sedimentary rocks the lowest were the earliest to be deposited.

2. The principle by which the description of the state of a physical system can be broken down into descriptions that are themselves possible states of the system. For example, harmonic motion, as of a violin string, can be analyzed as the sum of harmonic frequencies or harmonics, each of which is itself a kind of harmonic motion; harmonic motion is therefore a superposition of individual harmonics.

3. The combination of two or more physical states, such as waves, to form a new physical state in accordance with this principle.

4. See also wave See Note at Schrödinger

---

Etymology

Origin of superposition

1790–1800; < French superposition; see super-, position

Example Sentences

The first laser beam established the position of each cluster with an accuracy of about 10 nm and placed the particles into a quantum superposition, meaning they could follow multiple paths through the apparatus simultaneously.

From Science Daily • May 11, 2026

When the qubit is taken out of superposition, its value between 1 and 0—representing a probability—is captured.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Quantum batteries -- miniaturized theoretical devices that store energy using quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and coherence rather than traditional chemical reactions -- could redefine how power is stored and transferred.

From Science Daily • Oct. 24, 2025

Quantum bits, or qubits, have the property of superposition, which is said to be useful for more complex calculations.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 22, 2025

Thus, to express the superposition of one whorl upon another, a line is drawn between them, e.g. the symbol S5P5 | St5C5 is the formula of the flower of Primulaceae.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various