inferior

American  

[in-feer-ee-er] / ɪnˈfɪər i ər /

adjective

1. lower in station, rank, degree, or grade (often followed byto ).

   a rank inferior to colonel.

2. lower in place or position; closer to the bottom or base.

   descending into the inferior regions of the earth.

3. of comparatively low grade; poor in quality; substandard.

   an inferior product.

   Synonyms:

   second-rate, low-quality, mediocre

4. less important, valuable, or worthy.

   B+ bonds are inferior to AAA bonds.

5. acting or performing in a way that is comparatively poor or mediocre.

   an inferior observer of human nature.

6. Botany.

   1. situated below some other organ.

   2. (of a calyx) inserted below the ovary.

   3. (of an ovary) having a superior calyx.

7. Anatomy. (of an organ or part)

   1. lower in place or position; situated beneath another.

   2. toward the feet.

8. Astronomy. lying below the horizon.

   the inferior part of a meridian.

9. Printing. written or printed low on a line of text, as the “2” in H 2 O; subscript.

---

noun

1. a person inferior to another or others, as in rank or merit.

2. Also called subscript.  Printing. a letter, number, or symbol written or printed low on a line of text.

inferior British  

/ ɪnˈfɪərɪə, ɪnˌfɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ /

adjective

1. lower in value or quality

2. lower in rank, position, or status; subordinate

3. not of the best; mediocre; commonplace

4. lower in position; situated beneath

5. (of a plant ovary) enclosed by and fused with the receptacle so that it is situated below the other floral parts

6. astronomy

   1. orbiting or occurring between the sun and the earth

      an inferior planet

      inferior conjunction

   2. lying below the horizon

7. printing (of a character) printed at the foot of an ordinary character, as the 2 in H 2 O

---

noun

1. an inferior person

2. printing an inferior character

Usage

What does inferior mean? Inferior most commonly means lesser or lower in quality or worth.Inferior is commonly applied to things that are considered not as good as other similar things, especially products. However, inferior is also used to describe how some people are treated as lesser than others. In both cases, it is the opposite of superior, meaning better. Inferior is also used in more specific ways in sciences like anatomy, botany, and astronomy to describe a low position.Example: The new, more expensive model is inferior to the old model in every way—even the packaging is not as good.

Other Word Forms

• inferiority noun
• inferiorly adverb
• quasi-inferior adjective
• subinferior adjective

Etymology

Origin of inferior

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin, equivalent to infer(us) “lower” ( under ) + -ior comparative suffix

Example Sentences

“For a factory, a warehouse or agriculture,” he said, “legs are often inferior to wheels.”

From The Wall Street Journal

While U.S. labs are secretive, Chinese companies publish their research to prove they can compete despite inferior hardware, said Barrett Woodside, an AI entrepreneur in San Francisco who previously worked at Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though it’s hard to read Vonnegut without stumbling upon some apropos nuggets of wisdom, like this one from his novel “Slapstick:” “Fascists are inferior people who believe it when somebody tells them they’re superior.”

From Los Angeles Times

Warner Bros. board urged shareholders to reject Paramount’s offer, which includes $54 billion in debt commitments, deeming it “inferior” and “inadequate.”

From Los Angeles Times

If forced, its firms will train on inferior chips, accept short-term losses and bridge the gap over time without our tech.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• indifferent
• lousy
• mediocre
• substandard