inferior

[in-feer-ee-er]

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of inferior¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of inferior¹

C15: from Latin: lower, from inferus low

Example Sentences

The sequel to last year’s theatrical delight is, as fans have often said of the second act of the Broadway musical upon which it is based, markedly inferior to its predecessor.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Or having people see you and expect you to be inferior to others just because of who you are.”

Read more on Literature

In its 1857 Dred Scott decision, our nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court, ruled that Colored people were an “inferior and subordinate class of beings” as compared to Whites.

Read more on Literature

Xerox created a new, better machine only to have it sell less well than the inferior older ones—until they figured out the salesmen got a bigger commission for selling the older one.

Read more on Literature

The trial showed the drug wasn’t inferior to Roche’s approved treatment Ocrevus in delaying the onset of confirmed disability progression over at least 120 weeks of treatment, the company said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• indifferent 
• lousy 
• mediocre 
• substandard 

When To Use

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.