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.

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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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of superposition

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superposition

The researchers developed a theoretical framework showing that many situations described as a "quantum superposition of gravity" can also be interpreted in a very different way.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Bringing the two together raises a fundamental question: what happens to familiar thermodynamic processes when quantum effects such as tunneling, entanglement, and superposition enter the picture?

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

I used words like qubit, superposition, Schrödinger, and cat, some of them perhaps even correctly.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

Maybe we’ve slipped into a quantum superposition where gains are both reasonable and insane simultaneously.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

For instance, the colour of a salt solution is the colour obtained by the superposition of the colours of the ions and the colour of any undissociated salt that may be present.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various