superiority complex

American  

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

noun

Psychology.

1. an exaggerated feeling of superiority to others, characterized by arrogant or overbearing behavior.

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superiority complex British  

noun

1. informal an inflated estimate of one's own merit, usually manifested in arrogance

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Etymology

Origin of superiority complex

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does superiority-complex compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• superiority complex vs. inferiority complex

Example Sentences

This can veer into an intellectual superiority complex.

From Scientific American • May 28, 2022

The dire conditions of orangutans and other great apes in the wild are a testament to a failure of human stewardship of our planet, much to the contrary of the human superiority complex.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2022

The issue is that my husband has developed a superiority complex with money and his parents.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2021

It’s not always easy living in the shadow of the nation’s second-largest media market, and when it comes to how they view L.A., some San Diegans seem to have a simultaneous inferiority and superiority complex.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2021

He was a simple man who had no inferiority complex about his lack of education and, even more amazing, no superiority complex because he had succeeded despite that lack.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou