superior

su·pe·ri·or  (s-pîr-r)

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.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, comparative of superus, upper, from super, over; see uper in Indo-European roots.]

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su·peri·ori·ty (-ôr-t, -r-) n.

su·peri·or·ly adv.

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superior

Adjective

1. greater in quality, quantity, or usefulness

2. higher in rank, position, or status: he was reprimanded by a superior officer

3. believing oneself to be better than others

4. of very high quality or respectability: superior merchandise

5. Formal placed higher up: damage to the superior surface of the wing

6. Printing (of a character) written or printed above the line

Noun

1. a person of greater rank or status

2. See mother superior [Latin superus placed above]

superiority n

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.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	superior - one of greater rank or station or quality higher-up, superordinate leader - 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 abbess, mother superior, prioress - the superior of a group of nuns 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 rivals victor, master battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper - someone who fights (or is fighting) conqueror, vanquisher - someone who is victorious by force of arms
	4.	Superior - the largest freshwater lake in the world; the deepest of the Great Lakes Lake Superior Great 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 Badger State, WI, Wisconsin - a midwestern state in north central United States
	6.	superior - a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character superscript 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 superscript 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" higher-ranking, ranking 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"

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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) << OPPOSITE inferior

adjective 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, booshit Austral. (slang) exo Austral. (slang) sik Austral. (slang) rad (informal) phat (slang) schmick Austral. (informal) << OPPOSITE average

adjective 3. higher-ranking, senior, higher-level, upper-level

adjective 4. supercilious, patronizing, condescending, haughty, disdainful, lordly, lofty, airy, pretentious, stuck-up (informal) snobbish, on your high horse (informal)

noun 5. boss, senior, director, manager, chief (informal) principal, supervisor, baas S. African sherang Austral., N.Z. << OPPOSITE subordinate

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.

Translations

superior [suˈpɪərɪəʳ] adj → superior (= smug) [person] → altivo, desdeñoso: [smile, air] → de suficiencia: [remark] → desdeñoso

n → superior m;

Mother Superior (REL) → madre f superiora

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superior [suˈpɪərɪəʳ] adj → supérieur(e);

(Comm) [goods, quality] → de qualité supérieure (= smug); condescendant(e) → méprisant(e)

n → supérieur(e);

Mother Superior (Rel) → Mère supérieure

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superior [suˈpɪərɪəʳ] adj → besser, überlegen +dat;

(more senior) → höhergestellt;

(smug) → überheblich: (smile) → überlegen

n → Vorgesetzte(r) f(m);

Mother Superior (Rel) → Mutter Oberin

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superior [suˈpɪərɪəʳ] adj → superiore;

(COMM) [goods, quality] → di prim'ordine, superiore (= smug) [person] → che fa il superiore

n → superiore m/f;

Mother Superior (REL) → Madre f Superiora; Superiora