supersede

[soo-per-seed]

verb (used with object)

superseded, superseding 

1. to replace in power, authority, effectiveness, acceptance, use, etc., as by another person or thing.

2. to set aside or cause to be set aside as void, useless, irrelevant, or obsolete, usually in consideration of something mentioned.

   The success of the vaccine superseded the necessity of a smallpox hospital, and the enterprise was abandoned almost as soon as conceived.

   Synonyms: rescind, revoke, annul, overrule, void

3. to succeed to the position, function, office, etc., of; supplant.

supersede

/ ˌsuːpəˈsiːdʒə, ˌsuːpəˈsiːd, ˌsuːpəˈsɛʃən /

verb

1. to take the place of (something old-fashioned or less appropriate); supplant

2. to replace in function, office, etc; succeed

3. to discard or set aside or cause to be set aside as obsolete or inferior

Other Word Forms

• supersedable adjective
• superseder noun
• unsuperseding adjective
• supersedure noun
• supersedence noun
• supersession noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supersede¹

First recorded in 1485–95; from Latin supersedēre “to sit above or upon, forbear,” equivalent to super- super- + sedēre “to sit”; sit ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of supersede¹

C15: via Old French from Latin supersedēre to sit above, from _super- + sedēre to sit

Synonym Study

See replace.

Example Sentences

It’s tempting to believe we can supersede that, but the fact is, we’re always going to be attempting to unpick the injustices that exist absolutely.

Read more on Salon

“Everywhere and everyone was connected,” Mr. Samson writes, “operating as part of an integrated system that superseded ethnic differences.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Which companies or therapeutic classes may be superseded by Chinese assets?

Read more on Barron's

He also claimed UK courts had decided the rights of undocumented migrants superseded those of the "local community".

Read more on BBC

“The common dominator in all of this is the gun. At some level, the sanctity and the misapplication of the Second Amendment can’t supersede every conversation about the lives of our kids,” he said.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• annul 
• overrule 
• repudiate 
• set aside 
• supplant 
• usurp