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Synonyms

supervene

American  
[soo-per-veen] / ˌsu pərˈvin /

verb (used without object)

supervened, supervening
  1. to take place or occur as something additional or extraneous (sometimes followed by on orupon ).

  2. to ensue.


supervene British  
/ ˌsuːpəˈviːn, ˌsuːpəˈvɛnʃən /

verb

  1. to follow closely; ensue

  2. to occur as an unexpected or extraneous development

"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

Other Word Forms

  • supervenience noun
  • supervenient adjective
  • supervention noun

Etymology

Origin of supervene

1640–50; < Latin supervenīre, equivalent to super- super- + venīre to come

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They “supervene” on physical phenomena, as philosophers say, but are not reducible to them.

From Scientific American

“It is incumbent upon the SEC to evaluate the terms and conditions of said alleged supervening donation … whether the same has the effect of mitigating, if not curing, the violation it found,” the court said.

From Washington Times

Amazon’s lawyers wrote that working with Allen had become impractical because of “supervening events” — talent wouldn’t associate with him, “renewed allegations” had risen against him, and the director’s own “controversial comments” were an issue.

From The Verge

“Indeed, the attorney general’s job, at times, is to tell the president ‘no’ because of the supervening demands of the law,” Starr wrote.

From Salon

Indeed, the attorney general’s job, at times, is to tell the president “no” because of the supervening demands of the law.

From Washington Post