superior

[ suh-peer-ee-er, soo- ]

/ səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ- /

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adjective

higher in station, rank, degree, importance, etc.: a superior officer.

above the average in excellence, merit, intelligence, etc.: superior math students.

of higher grade or quality: superior merchandise.

greater in quantity or amount: superior numbers.

showing a consciousness or feeling of being better than or above others: superior airs.

not yielding or susceptible (usually followed by to): to be superior to temptation.

higher in place or position: We moved our camp to superior ground.

Botany.

situated above some other organ.
(of a calyx) seeming to originate from the top of the ovary.
(of an ovary) free from the calyx.

Anatomy. (of an organ or part)

higher in place or position; situated above another.
toward the head.Compare inferior (def. 7).

Printing. written or printed high on a line of text, as the “2” in a2b; superscript.Compare inferior (def. 9).

noun

one superior to another.

Also called superscript. Printing. a superior letter, number, or symbol.Compare inferior (def. 11).

Ecclesiastical. the head of a monastery, convent, or the like.

OTHER WORDS FOR superior

2 excellent, distinguished, unrivaled, first-rate, matchless.

5 haughty, arrogant, snobbish.

See synonyms for superior on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of superior

1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) <Latin, equivalent to super(us) situated above (adj. derivative of super;see super-) + -ior comparative suffix; see -er⁴

OTHER WORDS FROM superior

su·pe·ri·or·ly, adverbqua·si-su·pe·ri·or, adjectiveun·su·pe·ri·or, adjectiveun·su·pe·ri·or·ly, adverb

Words nearby superior

superinfection, superinflation, superintend, superintendency, superintendent, superior, superior conjunction, superior court, superior general, superior goods, superiority

Other definitions for superior (2 of 2)

Superior

[ suh-peer-ee-er, soo- ]

/ səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ- /

noun

Lake Superior, a lake in the north central United States and southern Canada: the northernmost of the Great Lakes; the largest body of fresh water in the world. 350 miles (564 kilometers) long; 31,820 square miles (82,415 square kilometers); greatest depth, 1,290 feet (393 meters); 602 feet (183 meters) above sea level.

a port in northwestern Wisconsin, on Lake Superior.

Origin of Superior

First recorded in 1780–85; translation of French Lac Supérieur “Upper Lake” (i.e., the lake above Lake Huron), or “Higher Lake” (in elevation above sea level)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use superior in a sentence

It’s one of the best ice picks available for all-around use thanks to its 5-½-inch blade that runs through the length of the handle for superior control and strength.
Best ice pick: A versatile winter tool for camping and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Lithium-metal batteries were far superior to lead-acid batteries, but they also had inherent drawbacks the Exxon team had never resolved, including their habit of sparking fires in the lab.
Novel lithium-metal batteries will drive the switch to electric cars|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Compared to humans, Methanians had superior hearing, vocal range, and sight, including x-ray vision.
Extraterrestrial engineering|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
While Big Tech collects consumer data to support their advertising revenue, banks can win the hearts of consumers by collecting data to drive personalization and superior UXs.
Fintech companies must balance the pursuit of profit against ethical data usage|Walter Thompson|February 19, 2021|TechCrunch

I’m also interested in product and design-centric teams using superior UX to democratize something that previously was limited to a privileged few.
8 investors discuss Stockholm’s maturing startup ecosystem|Mike Butcher|February 19, 2021|TechCrunch
On Dec. 30, she filed a similar lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court.
Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkisson’s Battle Royale With the Feds|Lloyd Grove|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And of those who transform themselves into masters and believe themselves superior to others, rather than at their service.
Pope Francis Denounces the Vatican Elite’s 'Spiritual Alzheimer’s'|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hitchcock sends the script--unread--to Thom Mount and his superior, Ned Tanen.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The essence of nearly every Disney film is that women need saving, preferably by a man from a superior social and economic class.
Sexism Begins in the Toy Aisle|Nancy Kaffer|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Virginia Woolf loved Wuthering Heights and considered Emily Brontë superior to her sister Charlotte.
The Birth of the Novel|Nick Romeo|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Mexicans, far superior in numbers, received every moment accessions to their strength.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
In Paris, Joachim soon found that the royal road to success lay in denouncing loudly all superior officers of lack of patriotism.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
His superior talents and untiring industry were under the direction of philanthropic and Christian impulses.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Not to smoke at all in the presence of a superior, is held the most delicate homage which can be paid him.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
With little hesitation she did so, in view of the immensely superior force displayed.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for superior (1 of 2)

superior

/ (suːˈpɪərɪə) /

adjective

greater in quality, quantity, etc

of high or extraordinary worth, merit, etc

higher in rank or statusa superior tribunal

displaying a conscious sense of being above or better than others; supercilious

(often postpositive foll by to) not susceptible (to) or influenced (by)

placed higher up; situated further from the base

astronomy

(of a planet) having an orbit further from the sun than the orbit of the earth
(of a conjunction) occurring when the sun lies between the earth and an inferior planet

(of a plant ovary) situated above the calyx and other floral parts

anatomy (of one part in relation to another) situated above or higher

printing (of a character) written or printed above the line; superscript

noun

a person or thing of greater rank or quality

printing a character set in a superior position

(often capital) the head of a community in a religious order

Derived forms of superior

superioress, fem nsuperiority (suːˌpɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ), nounsuperiorly, adverb

Word Origin for superior

C14: from Latin, from superus placed above, from super above

usage for superior

Superior should not be used with than: he is a better (not a superior) poet than his brother; his poetry is superior to (not superior than) his brother's

British Dictionary definitions for superior (2 of 2)

Superior

/ (suːˈpɪərɪə, sjuː-) /

noun

Lake Superior a lake in the N central US and S Canada: one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world and westernmost of the Great Lakes. Area: 82 362 sq km (31 800 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

superior

OTHER WORDS FOR superior

Origin of superior

OTHER WORDS FROM superior

Words nearby superior

Other definitions for superior (2 of 2)

Origin of Superior

Words related to superior

How to use superior in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for superior (1 of 2)

Derived forms of superior

Word Origin for superior

usage for superior

British Dictionary definitions for superior (2 of 2)