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.

---

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

---

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’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

Still, other projects may conjure comparisons to the story of Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy, a man who is easily duped into a Faustian bargain thanks to his single-mindedness and inferiority complex.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2023

"Our inferiority complex is high. No wonder the park where the couple met their death is named after a British Queen," another X user said.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2023

The inferiority complex, he affirmed, was the greatest barrier to liberation.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela