superior

(sʊ-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. Affecting an attitude of disdain or conceit; haughty and 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.]

superiority su·pe'ri·or'i·ty (-ôr'ĭ-tē, -ŏr'-) n.
superiorly su·pe'ri·or·ly adv.

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is not a true comparative (like better or greater, for example) and is followed by to, not than:

The taste of an open mushroom grilled with garlic, parsley and butter is so splendid, and superior to snails given the same treatment—Times, 1980.

In the language of advertising, superior has the depleted meaning 'above average in quality' (a superior housing development / made of superior leather).

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adjective

1. Being at a rank above another: higher, senior. See over/under.
2. Of greater excellence than another: better¹, preferable. See better/worse.
3. Of fine quality: choice, fine¹, first-class, prime, select. See better/worse.
4. Exceptionally good of its kind: ace, banner, blue-ribbon, brag, capital, champion, excellent, fine¹, first-class, first-rate, prime, quality, splendid, superb, terrific, tiptop, top. Informal A-one, bully, dandy, great, swell, topflight, topnotch. Slang boss. Chiefly British tophole. See good/bad.
5. Overly convinced of one's own superiority and importance: arrogant, haughty, high-and-mighty, insolent, lofty, lordly, overbearing, overweening, prideful, proud, supercilious. Idioms: on one's high horse. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude.
6. Being at a height or level above another: higher, upper. See high/low.

noun

One who stands above another in rank: better¹, elder, senior. Informal higher-up. See over/under.

adj

Definition: arrogant, haughty
Antonyms: humble, meek, modest

adj

Definition: better, greater, higher; excellent
Antonyms: bad, below, inferior, lower, minor, poor, worse

n

Definition: person higher or highest in rank
Antonyms: inferior, servant, subordinate, worker bee

cranial

Toward the head or upper end of the body or body part; above (e.g. the forehead is superior to the nose). See also directional terms.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

One who has a right to give orders; belonging to a higher grade.

A superior is someone or something entitled to command, influence, or control. In the judicial system, a superior court has general or extensive jurisdiction, as opposed to an inferior court. A superior court bears a different meaning in different states. In some states, it is a tribunal of intermediate jurisdiction between the trial courts and the chief appellate court; in other states, however, it is the name given to trial courts.

In the law of negligence, a superior force is an uncontrollable and irresistible force that produces results that could not be avoided.

In real property, a holder of a superior estate has an easement, or a nonpossessory interest in land, in an inferior estate.

IN BRIEF: adj. - (often followed by `to') above being affected or influenced by; More elevated in place; Higher; Higher in rank, office, or quality.

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men--true nobility is being superior to your former self. — Radiohead

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Situated above, or directed upward.

For a list of words related to superiority, see:

• Approval, Respect, and Recognition - superiority: quality or state of having higher status or worth

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See words rhyming with "superiority."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Superior.

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - overlegen, bedre, højere, udmærket, fremragende, vigtig, overordnet
n. - overordnet, foresat, overmand, prior(inde)

idioms:

• superior numbers    overordnede tal

n. - Superior

Nederlands (Dutch)
superieur, beste, opperst, meerdere, overste, hoger, arrogant

Français (French)
adj. - supérieur, de qualité supérieure, meilleur, condescendant, suffisant, (Biol, Bot, Imprim) supérieur
n. - (gén, Relig) supérieur

idioms:

• superior numbers    en nombres supérieurs

n. - Supérieur

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vorgesetzter, Überlegener
adj. - hochgestellt, überheblich, überlegen, höher

idioms:

• superior numbers    zahlenmäßige Überlegenheit

n. - Superior

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ανώτερος (κατά θέση ή αξίωμα), (θρησκ.) ηγούμενος, ηγουμένη
adj. - ανώτερος (κατά θέση ή αξίωμα), υπέρτερος σε ποιότητα, ποσότητα ή αξία, υπερφίαλος, υπεράνω

idioms:

• superior numbers    αριθμητική υπεροχή

Italiano (Italian)
superiore, principale

idioms:

• superior numbers    superiorità numerica

Português (Portuguese)
n. - superior (m)
adj. - superior

idioms:

• superior numbers    números superiores

n. - Lago Superior

Русский (Russian)
начальник, старший, превосходящий другого, лучший, превосходящий, больший, (численно) превосходящий, превосходный, стоящий выше, высокомерный, высший (по должности), более общий

idioms:

• superior numbers    численное превосходство

Español (Spanish)
adj. - superior, supremo, más alto, de superioridad, orgulloso, presuntuoso, desdeñoso
n. - superior, superiora

idioms:

• superior numbers    superioridad numérica, fuerza más numerosa

n. - Superior

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - överordnad, abbot
adj. - högre (i rang), överlägsen, utmärkt, förstklassig, högdragen

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
苏必利尔

上好的, 高傲的, 出众的, 上司, 长辈, 长官, 优势者, 优胜者

idioms:

• superior numbers    优势, 数量优势

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 蘇必略

adj. - 上好的, 高傲的, 出眾的
n. - 上司, 長輩, 長官, 優勢者, 優勝者

idioms:

• superior numbers    優勢, 數量優勢

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 뛰어난, 우수한, 우세한
n. - 우수한 사람, 선배, 상관

Lake ~ 슈피리어호 (북아메리카 5대호의 하나)

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - すぐれた, 優秀な, 上等の, 上級の, 傲慢な, 上部の, 上にある, 超越した, より一般的な
n. - スペリオル湖, すぐれた人, 上官, 上役, 先輩, 肩数字

idioms:

• superior numbers    優勢
• superior power    優勢

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) اعلى , اعلى منزله (صفه) متعالي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮עליון, גבוה, רם, נעלה, משובח, טוב, רב, עדיף, יהיר, מתנשא, ממונה, גבוה בדרגה, רם במעמד‬
n. - ‮אדם העולה בדרגתו על אחר, ראש מנזר, אות גדולה (דפוס)‬
n. - ‮סופריור‬

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