superiority complex

American

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

noun

Psychology.

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

superiority complex British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of superiority complex

First recorded in 1920–25

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superiority complex vs. inferiority complex

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023