superior
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su·pe·ri·or
(so͝o-pîr′ē-ər)adj.
1. Higher than another in rank, station, or authority: a superior officer.
2. Of a higher nature or kind.
3. Of great value or excellence; extraordinary.
4. Greater in number or amount than another: an army defeated by superior numbers of enemy troops.
5. Presuming to be or suggesting that one is morally or socially better than others; disdainful or supercilious.
6. Above being affected or influenced; indifferent or immune: "Trust magnates were superior to law" (Gustavus Myers).
7. Located higher than another; upper.
8. Botany Inserted or situated above the perianth. Used of an ovary.
9. Printing Set above the main line of type.
10. Logic Of wider or more comprehensive application; generic. Used of a term or proposition.
n.
1. One that surpasses another in rank or quality.
2. Ecclesiastical The head of a religious community, such as a monastery, abbey, or convent.
3. Printing A superior character, as the number 2 in x2.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, comparative of superus, upper, from super, over; see uper in Indo-European roots.]
su·pe′ri·or′i·ty (-ôr′ĭ-tē, -ŏr′-) n.
su·pe′ri·or·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
superior
(suːˈpɪərɪə)adj
1. greater in quality, quantity, etc
2. of high or extraordinary worth, merit, etc
3. higher in rank or status: a superior tribunal.
4. displaying a conscious sense of being above or better than others; supercilious
5. (foll by: to) not susceptible (to) or influenced (by)
6. placed higher up; situated further from the base
7. (Astronomy) astronomy
a. (of a planet) having an orbit further from the sun than the orbit of the earth
b. (of a conjunction) occurring when the sun lies between the earth and an inferior planet
8. (Botany) (of a plant ovary) situated above the calyx and other floral parts
9. (Anatomy) anatomy (of one part in relation to another) situated above or higher
10. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing (of a character) written or printed above the line; superscript
n
11. a person or thing of greater rank or quality
12. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a character set in a superior position
13. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (often capital) the head of a community in a religious order
[C14: from Latin, from superus placed above, from super above]
suˈperioress fem n
superiority, superiorship n
suˈperiorly adv
Usage: 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
Superior
(suːˈpɪərɪə; sjuː-)n
(Placename) 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 and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
su•pe•ri•or
(səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ-)adj.
1. higher in station, rank, degree, etc.
2. above the average in excellence, merit, intelligence, etc.
3. of higher grade or quality.
4. greater in quantity or amount.
5. showing a consciousness or feeling of being better than or above others.
6. not yielding or susceptible (usu. fol. by to): to be superior to temptation.
7. higher in place or position: superior ground.
8. Bot.
a. situated above some other organ.
b. (of a calyx) seeming to originate from the top of the ovary.
c. (of an ovary) free from the calyx.
9. Anat. (of an organ or part)
a. higher in place or position; situated above another.
b. being toward the head.
Compare inferior (def. 5). 10. Astron.
a. (of a planet) having an orbit outside that of the earth, as Mars and Jupiter.
b. (of a conjunction of a superior planet) taking place between the sun and the planet.
11. written or printed high on a line of text, as the “2” in a2b; superscript. Compare inferior (def. 7).
n. 12. one superior to another.
13. superscript.
14. the head of a monastery, convent, or the like.
[1350–1400; < Latin, comp. of superus upper (derivative of super; see super-)]
su•pe′ri•or•ly, adv.
Su•pe•ri•or
(səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ-)n.
Lake, a lake in the N central U.S. and S Canada: the northernmost of the Great Lakes; the largest body of fresh water in the world. 31,820 sq. mi. (82,415 sq. km).
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
superior
If one person or thing is superior to another, they are better than the other person or thing.
I secretly felt superior to him.
The film is vastly superior to the book.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  superior - one of greater rank or station or qualityleader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others better - a superior person having claim to precedence; "the common man has been kept in his place by his betters" god - a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people; "he was a god among men" supervisor - one who supervises or has charge and direction of inferior - one of lesser rank or station or quality |
| 2. | superior - the head of a religious community abbot, archimandrite - the superior of an abbey of monks prior - the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot religious - a member of a religious order who is bound by vows of poverty and chastity and obedience | |
| 3. |  superior - a combatant who is able to defeat rivalsconqueror, vanquisher - someone who is victorious by force of arms | |
| 4. |  Superior - the largest freshwater lake in the world; the deepest of the Great LakesGreat Lakes - a group of five large, interconnected lakes in central North America | |
| 5. | Superior - a town in northwest Wisconsin on Lake Superior across from Duluth | |
| 6. | superior - a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character grapheme, graphic symbol, character - a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has 24 characters" | |
| Adj. | 1. | superior - of high or superior quality or performance; "superior wisdom derived from experience"; "superior math students" best - (superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit" inferior - of low or inferior quality |
| 2. | superior - of or characteristic of high rank or importance; "a superior ruler" dominant - exercising influence or control; "television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion"; "the dominant partner in the marriage" high - greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount; "a high temperature"; "a high price"; "the high point of his career"; "high risks"; "has high hopes"; "the river is high"; "he has a high opinion of himself" inferior - of or characteristic of low rank or importance | |
| 3. | superior - (sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by; "overcome by a superior opponent"; "trust magnates who felt themselves superior to law" dominant - exercising influence or control; "television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion"; "the dominant partner in the marriage" | |
| 4. | superior - written or printed above and to one side of another character printing process, printing - reproduction by applying ink to paper as for publication | |
| 5. | superior - having an orbit farther from the sun than the Earth's orbit; "Mars and Jupiter are the closest in of the superior planets" astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole inferior - having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit; "Mercury and Venus are inferior planets" | |
| 6. | superior - having a higher rank; "superior officer" senior - older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service; "senior officer" | |
| 7. | superior - (often followed by `to') above being affected or influenced by; "he is superior to fear"; "an ignited firework proceeds superior to circumstances until its blazing vitality fades" unaffected - undergoing no change when acted upon; "entirely unaffected by each other's writings"; "fibers remained apparently unaffected by the treatment" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
superior
adjective
1. better, higher, greater, grander, preferred, prevailing, paramount, surpassing, more advanced, predominant, unrivalled, more extensive, more skilful, more expert, a cut above (informal), streets ahead (informal), running rings around (informal) a woman greatly superior to her husband in education
better worse, inferior, not as good, less, poorer, lower, lesser
better worse, inferior, not as good, less, poorer, lower, lesser
2. first-class, excellent, first-rate, good, fine, choice, exclusive, distinguished, exceptional, world-class, good quality, admirable, high-class, high calibre, de luxe, of the first order He's got a superior car, and it's easy to win races that way.
first-class average, ordinary, inferior, mediocre, second-class, second-rate, unremarkable, substandard, no great shakes (informal), half-pie (N.Z. informal)
first-class average, ordinary, inferior, mediocre, second-class, second-rate, unremarkable, substandard, no great shakes (informal), half-pie (N.Z. informal)
3. higher-ranking, senior, higher-level, upper-level negotiations between mutineers and their superior officers
4. supercilious, patronizing, condescending, haughty, disdainful, lordly, lofty, airy, pretentious, stuck-up (informal), snobbish, on your high horse (informal) Finch gave a superior smile.
noun
1. boss, senior, director, manager, chief (informal), principal, supervisor, baas (S. African) my immediate superior
boss junior, subordinate, inferior, assistant, cohort (chiefly U.S.), minion, underling, lackey, dogsbody
boss junior, subordinate, inferior, assistant, cohort (chiefly U.S.), minion, underling, lackey, dogsbody
Usage: Superior should not be used with than: he is a better (not a superior) poet than his brother; his poetry is superior to (not than) his brother's.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
superior
adjective2. Of greater excellence than another:
3. Of fine quality:
4. Exceptionally good of its kind:
ace, banner, blue-ribbon, brag, capital, champion, excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, prime, quality, splendid, superb, terrific, tiptop, top.
Slang: boss.
Chiefly British: tophole.
5. Overly convinced of one's own superiority and importance:
arrogant, haughty, high-and-mighty, insolent, lofty, lordly, overbearing, overweening, prideful, proud, supercilious.
Idiom: on one's high horse.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إسْتِعلائي، مُتَشامِخأعْلى مَرْتَبَةًرَئيسرَئِيسعالي، فَوْق المُسْتَوى
nadřízenýpovýšenývětšívyšší-á
overlegenoverordnetudsøgthoven
erinomainenesimiesparempiyläpuolinen
nadređenisuperioran
feletteskiváló
framúrskarandi, ágætis-hærra setturyfirlætisleguryfirmaîur
上役優れた
상사우수한
aukštesnio rango žmogusaukštesnisįsivaizdinantislabai gerasviršesnis
augstāka ranga virsnieksaugstāksaugstprātīgsaugstsizcils
nadriadenývyšší
boljšivišjivrhunski
överlägsenchef
เหนือกว่าผู้บังคับบัญชา
thượng cấptốt hơn
superior
[sʊˈpɪərɪəʳ]A. ADJ
1. (= better) → superior
to be superior to sth/sb → ser superior a algo/algn
to be superior to sth/sb in sth → superar or ser superior a algo/algn en algo
to be superior to sth/sb → ser superior a algo/algn
to be superior to sth/sb in sth → superar or ser superior a algo/algn en algo
2. (= good) [product] → de primera calidad
it's a very superior model → es un modelo de primerísima calidad → es un modelo muy superior
thanks to its superior design → gracias a la supremacía del diseño
a superior being → un ser superior
it's a very superior model → es un modelo de primerísima calidad → es un modelo muy superior
thanks to its superior design → gracias a la supremacía del diseño
a superior being → un ser superior
3. (= senior) (in hierarchy, rank) → superior
to be superior to sb → ser superior a algn
his superior officer (Mil) → su superior
to be superior to sb → ser superior a algn
his superior officer (Mil) → su superior
4. (numerically) the enemy's superior numbers → la superioridad numérica del enemigo
the enemy were superior to them in number → el enemigo los superaba or era superior a ellos en número
the enemy were superior to them in number → el enemigo los superaba or era superior a ellos en número
5. (= smug) [person] → altanero, desdeñoso; [tone, expression, smile] → de superioridad, de suficiencia
"you don't understand," Clarissa said in a superior way → -tú no lo entiendes -dijo Clarissa con aire de superioridad or de suficiencia
"you don't understand," Clarissa said in a superior way → -tú no lo entiendes -dijo Clarissa con aire de superioridad or de suficiencia
6. (Tech) (= upper) → superior
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
superior
[suːˈpɪərɪər] adj
(= better) → supérieur(e)
superior to (= better than) → supérieur(e) à
to be vastly superior to sth → être largement supérieur(e) à qch
superior to (= better than) → supérieur(e) à
to be vastly superior to sth → être largement supérieur(e) à qch
(= greater) [numbers] → supérieur(e)
(= of high quality) [goods, product] → de qualité supérieure
n → supérieur(e) m/f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
superior
adj
(= better) quality, equipment → besser (to als); intellect, ability, skill, technique → überlegen (to sb/sth jdm/einer Sache); he thinks he’s so superior → er hält sich für so überlegen or für so viel besser
(= excellent) work(manship), technique → großartig, hervorragend; craftsman → ausgezeichnet; intellect → überragend; goods of superior quality, superior quality goods → Waren pl → bester Qualität
(= higher in rank etc) → höher; superior officer → Vorgesetzte(r) mf; superior court → höheres Gericht; to be superior to somebody/something → jdm/einer Sache übergeordnet sein, höherstehen als jd/etw
(= greater) forces → stärker (to als); strength → größer (to als); they were superior to us in number(s) → sie waren uns zahlenmäßig überlegen
(= snobbish) person, manner → überheblich; tone, smile → überlegen; (= smart) restaurant, clientele → fein, vornehm
n
(in rank) → Vorgesetzte(r) mf
(in ability) → Überlegene(r) mf; to be somebody’s superior → jdm überlegen sein; he has no superiors when it comes to that → was das anbelangt, ist ihm keiner überlegen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
superior
[sʊˈpɪərɪəʳ]1. adj (gen) superior to → superiore a (Comm) (goods, quality) → di prim'ordine, superiore; (smug, person) → che fa il/la superiore; (smile, air) → di superiorità; (remark) → altezzoso/a
superior number (Typ) → esponente m
he felt rather superior → si sentì importante
superior number (Typ) → esponente m
he felt rather superior → si sentì importante
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
superior
(suˈpiəriə) adjective1. (often with to) higher in rank, better, or greater, than. Is a captain superior to a commander in the navy?; With his superior strength he managed to overwhelm his opponent.
2. high, or above the average, in quality. superior workmanship.
3. (of a person or his attitude) contemptuous or disdainful. a superior smile.
noun a person who is better than, or higher in rank than, another or others. The servant was dismissed for being rude to her superiors.
suˌperiˈority (-ˈo-) nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
superior
→ رَئِيس, فَائِق nadřazený, nadřízený overlegen, overordnet besser, Vorgesetzter ανώτερος, προϊστάμενος superior esimies, parempi supérieur nadređeni, superioran superiore 上役, 優れた 상사, 우수한 meerdere, superieur overlegen, overordnet przełożony, wyższy superior высший, старший chef, överlägsen เหนือกว่า, ผู้บังคับบัญชา üst, üstün thượng cấp, tốt hơn 上司, 优越的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
su·per·i·or
n. superior, más alto; [position] hacia arriba; al exterior.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
superior
adj (anat) superiorEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.