superposition

American  

[soo-per-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌsu pər pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

Geology.

1. the order in which sedimentary strata are superposed one above another.

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superposition British  

/ ˌsuːpəpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of superposing or state of being superposed

2. geology the principle that in any sequence of sedimentary rocks which has not been disturbed, the oldest strata lie at the bottom and the youngest at the top

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superposition Scientific  

/ so̅o̅′pər-pə-zĭsh′ən /

1. The principle that in a group of stratified sedimentary rocks the lowest were the earliest to be deposited.

2. The principle by which the description of the state of a physical system can be broken down into descriptions that are themselves possible states of the system. For example, harmonic motion, as of a violin string, can be analyzed as the sum of harmonic frequencies or harmonics, each of which is itself a kind of harmonic motion; harmonic motion is therefore a superposition of individual harmonics.

3. The combination of two or more physical states, such as waves, to form a new physical state in accordance with this principle.

4. See also wave See Note at Schrödinger

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Etymology

Origin of superposition

1790–1800; < French superposition; see super-, position

Example Sentences

One well-known example is the "cat state," where an oscillator exists as a superposition of two wave packets moving in opposite directions.

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

I used words like qubit, superposition, Schrödinger, and cat, some of them perhaps even correctly.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Maybe we’ve slipped into a quantum superposition where gains are both reasonable and insane simultaneously.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

When the qubit is taken out of superposition, its value between 1 and 0—representing a probability—is captured.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Our leading criterion for estimating the relative ages of rocks is the superposition of their beds on each other.

From The Chain of Life in Geological Time A Sketch of the Origin and Succession of Animals and Plants by Dawson, Sir J. William