inferiority

American  

[in-feer-ee-awr-i-tee, -or-] / ɪnˌfɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti, -ˈɒr- /

noun

1. the quality or state of being lesser or lower in rank, position, quality, etc..

   Negative perceptions about the inferiority of generic drugs compared to brand name drugs were more pronounced among some segments of the studied population.

2. the quality or state of feeling less important, valuable, or worthy.

   The youth center was founded on the belief that youth violence is a product of various social and economic factors that contribute to feelings of inferiority, powerlessness, and hopelessness.

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Etymology

Origin of inferiority

First recorded in 1580–90; inferior ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

In the first few weeks of the war we have seen how Iran has managed its tactical and materiel inferiority to some effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

And if her goofier choices were unanimously refuted as artistic inferiority, we’d never get the chance to see her bounce from “Babygirl” to “Holland” to playing an Italian forensic pathologist in “Scarpetta.”

From Salon

It was more sweat than style, but still not enough to make up for the glaring inferiority and inadequacies of the first half.

From BBC

"There was no inferiority complex from Grimsby, far from it. If anything it was the other way around."

From BBC

And they remember a time in which the city’s messy urban forms and perceived cultural inferiority provided endless creative fuel, and liberation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inadequacy