superior

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

/ səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ- /

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See synonyms for superior on Thesaurus.com

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

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?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Peter Essele, head of portfolio management for Commonwealth Financial Network, believes JetBlue’s reputation for superior customer experience will give it an edge in the long term over more traditional carriers, well beyond the pandemic.
The 21 best stocks to buy for 2021|Anne Sraders|November 20, 2020|Fortune
For diamonds, that superior imagery means Signet must take hundreds of pictures of an item to create a 360-degree composite photo so detailed that Drosos claims a customer can see better on the screen than in person.
The company behind Kay and Zales wants to give jewelry shopping a pandemic-era makeover|Phil Wahba|November 12, 2020|Fortune
Cora’s 2018 title gives him a lifetime pass with Boston fans, and he was a highly popular figure with his players and his superiors alike.
For the Red Sox, rehiring Alex Cora makes sense. But it doesn’t look good.|Dave Sheinin|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
Roberts had witnessed what he sensed was a “dry run” for the Audubon hit at another Malcolm speech days earlier and reported it to his superiors.
When Malcolm X secretly met with the Klan|Mark Whitaker|November 6, 2020|Washington Post

However, Davis was the superior rebounder and would always rebound any shot that either of them missed.
Beware The Hot Pumpkin|Zach Wissner-Gross|October 30, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Even my knowledge of life is a work of art superiorly composed.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 4 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
“They are not afraid of being shot, Sahib,” said he, smiling superiorly.
Cupid in Africa|P. C. Wren
Also in the axolotl, where there are douple pits, placed side by side, not only superiorly but at the same time inferiorly.
On the Genesis of Species|St. George Mivart
When the whaleboat was alongside, he descended into it first, superiorly, then invited Nau-hau to accompany him.
Jerry of the Islands|Jack London
You may say, superiorly: "He has expressed himself clumsily, but I can see what he means."
Literary Taste: How to Form It|Arnold Bennett

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

Other definitions for superior (2 of 2)

Origin of Superior

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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)