Dictionary.com

superior

[ suh-peer-ee-er, soo- ]
/ səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ- /
Save This Word!

adjective
noun
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

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

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

British Dictionary definitions for superior (1 of 2)

superior
/ (suːˈpɪərɪə) /

adjective
noun

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
FEEDBACK