superiority

American  

[suh-peer-ee-awr-i-tee, -or-, soo-] / səˌpɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti, -ˈɒr-, sʊ- /

noun

• superiorities
  plural

1. 

   the quality or condition of being superior.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• superiorities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of superiority

First recorded in 1520–30, superiority is from the Medieval Latin word superiōritāt- (stem of superiōritās ). See superior, -ity

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Explanation

Superiority is the quality of being better than or superior to someone else. Your superiority in the sack race won you a first-place ribbon. Superiority refers to the best. It’s better than, above, greater than everything else, whether there’s something to compare it to — the superiority of one ice cream flavor over another — or whether it just describes a general state of high quality — the superiority of the University library. Of course, sometimes superiority is all in your head; in that case, some people might say you have a superiority complex, which means that you think you’re better than everyone else!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superiority superiorities

In high school, he criticized administrators for allowing Spanish-language announcements and once reportedly jumped into a girls’ track race in an apparent attempt to prove the athletic superiority of men.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026

The wicker man’s superiority makes all the villagers feel ashamed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

It’s content that delivers pure physical comedy, guilt-free schadenfreude and a reassuring feeling of superiority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

All of them have top-flight or international experience, as well as physicality to their game, but even those additions did little to prevent Arsenal from asserting their superiority on Friday night.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The earthquake had already done half the work for him, proving the automobile’s superiority to the horse in utility.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

"Obviously none of the other materials . . . would produce a comb possessing the many excellent qualities and inherent superiorities of a comb made of celluloid," Hyatt wrote in one of his patent applications.

From Scientific American ● May 29, 2011

Adding up what is known of most of these factors, the margins, evident superiorities, palpable weaknesses of the three belligerent air forces stack up somewhat as follows.

From Time Magazine Archive

All of the expected prestige names turn up at the top, but the study is nonetheless full of fascinating comparisons and subtle superiorities.

From Time Magazine Archive

But all the while these superiorities and inferiorities, which we magnify, seem from Paul's vantage point not nearly so important or so real as we think they are.

From Christianity and Progress by Harry Emerson Fosdick

It was an affirmation that, appearances notwithstanding, neither superiorities nor excellences of human character had any real existence.

From The Cult of Incompetence by Beatrice Barstow

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Related Words

• dominance
• excellence
• perfection
• preeminence
• prestige
• supremacy
• upper hand

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