# superior
## English
### Alternative forms

* superiour (UK, obsolete)

### Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French superiour, from Latin superior (“higher, upper”).

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /suːˈpɪə.ɹi.ə/
* (General American) IPA: /sʊˈpɪɹ.i.ɚ/, /sə-/
* (New Zealand) IPA: /sʉːˈpɪə.ɹiː.ə/, /sə-/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪəɹiə(ɹ)
* Hyphenation: su‧per‧i‧or

### Adjective

superior (not comparable)
* Higher in rank, status, or quality.
    Rebecca had always thought shorts were far superior to pants, as they didn't constantly make her legs itch.
** 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs, […], and all these articles […] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.
** 2022 January 12, David Clough, “From Germany with love: a Warship perspective”, in RAIL, number 948, page 46:Additionally, reliability proved to be superior to NBL's design, with an average of 120,000 miles run during 1959.
** Of high standard or quality.
*** 1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread , chapter 3:She always treated (her husband) as a boy, which he was, and as a fool, which he was not, thinking herself so immeasurably superior to him that she neglected opportunity after opportunity of establishing her rule.
** Greater in size or power.
** (superior to) Beyond the power or influence of; too great or firm to be subdued or affected by.
*** 1711 December 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, December 1, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 237; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:There is not in earth a spectacle more worthy […] than a brave man superior to his sufferings.The spelling has been modernized.
** Greater or better than average.
    Synonym: extraordinary
* Courageously or serenely indifferent (as to something painful or disheartening).
* (typography) Printed in superscript.
    a superior figure or letter
* Located above or out; higher in position.
    the superior jaw; the superior part of an image
** (anatomy, medicine) Located above or higher, a direction that in humans corresponds to cephalad.
** (botany) (of a calyx) Above the ovary; said of parts of the flower which, although normally below the ovary, adhere to it, and so appear to originate from its upper part.
** (botany) (of an ovary) Above and free from the other floral organs.
** (botany) Belonging to the part of an axillary flower which is toward the main stem.
    Synonym: posterior
** (botany) (of the radicle) Pointing toward the apex of the fruit.
    Synonym: ascending
* (taxonomy) More comprehensive.
    A genus is superior to a species.
* Affecting or assuming an air of superiority.
    Synonym: supercilious
* (astronomy, of a planet in the Solar System) Having a wider orbit around the Sun; typically with respect to the Earth.

#### Usage notes

* Superior and inferior are generally followed by to; than is sometimes used mistakenly.
* Other English words coming from Latin comparative forms are interior, exterior, ulterior, major, minor, as well as inferior, junior, senior, anterior, posterior and prior, the last six of which (along with superior) have retained their comparative meaning in English. For other English terms ultimately from Latin comparatives formed with -us, see e.g. plus and minus.

#### Antonyms

* inferior

#### Coordinate terms

* noninferior
* anterior
* apical
* apicocoronal
* axial
* buccal
* buccoapical
* buccocervical
* buccogingival
* buccolabial
* buccolingual
* bucco-occlusal
* buccopalatal
* cervical
* coronal
* coronoapical
* distal
* distoapical
* distobuccal
* distocclusal
* distocervical
* distoclusal
* distocoronal
* distofacial
* distogingival
* distoincisal
* distolingual
* disto-occlusal
* distopalatal
* facial
* gingival
* incisal
* incisocervical
* inferior
* labial
* lingual
* linguobuccal
* linguo-occlusal
* mandibular
* maxillary
* mesial
* mesioapical
* mesiobuccal
* mesiocclusal
* mesiocervical
* mesioclusal
* mesiocoronal
* mesiodistal
* mesiofacial
* mesiogingival
* mesioincisal
* mesiolingual
* mesio-occlusal
* mesiopalatal
* occlusal
* palatal
* posterior
* proximal
* superior
* vestibular

#### Derived terms

* anterior superior iliac spine
* anterosuperior
* father superior
* general superior
* highly superior autobiographical memory
* Lake Superior
* laterosuperior
* limit superior
* mediosuperior
* mother superior, Mother Superior
* nonsuperior
* posterior superior alveolar artery
* posterosuperior
* superior alveolar nerve
* superior auricular muscle
* superior autobiographical memory
* superior carotid triangle
* superior cerebellar artery
* superior cervical ganglion
* superior colliculus
* superior court
* superioress
* superior general
* superior good
* superior highly composite number
* superiority
* superiorization
* superior landlord
* superior laryngeal artery
* superior laryngeal nerve
* superior lease
* superior letter
* superiorly
* superior mesenteric artery
* superior mesenteric artery syndrome
* superiormost
* superior nasal concha
* superiorness
* superior oblique
* superior oblique muscle
* superior olivary complex
* superior orbital fissure
* superior petrosal sinus
* superior pharyngeal constrictor
* superior planet
* superior rectus
* superior sagittal sinus
* superiorship
* superior tarsal
* superior tarsal muscle
* superior tenant
* superior thyroid artery
* superior vena cava
* supero-
* temporosuperior

#### Related terms

* auricularis superior
* Homo superior
* levator labii superioris
* levator labii superioris alaeque nasi
* levator palpebrae superioris
* respondeat superior

#### Translations
### Noun

superior (plural superiors)
* A person of higher rank or quality, especially a colleague in a higher position.
    Synonym: overling
** The senior person in a monastic community.
** The head of certain religious institutions and colleges.
    Hyponyms: father superior, mother superior
* (printing) A superior letter, figure, or symbol.
    Synonym: superscript
* (Scots law, historical) One who has made an original grant of heritable property to a tenant or vassal, on condition of a certain annual payment (feu duty) or of the performance of certain services.

#### Translations
### References

* “superior”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* “superior”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “superior”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “superior”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin superiōrem. First attested in 1653.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [su.pə.ɾiˈor]
* IPA: (Balearic) [su.pə.ɾiˈo]
* IPA: (Valencia) [su.pe.ɾiˈoɾ]

### Adjective

superior m or f (masculine and feminine plural superiors)
* superior, higher, high
    Antonym: inferior

#### Related terms

* superioritat

### Noun

superior m or f by sense (plural superiors)
* superior

### References

* ↑ “superior”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025

### Further reading

* “superior” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “superior” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “superior” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Latin
### Etymology

Comparative of superus (“that is above, upper, higher”), from super (“above, over”, preposition) +‎ -us (adjectival suffix).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /suˈpe.ri.or/, [s̠ʊˈpɛriɔr]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /suˈpe.ri.or/, [suˈpɛːrior]

### Adjective

superior (comparative, neuter superius); third declension
* comparative degree of superus
    Antonyms: inferior, subterior
** (of a place) higher, upper
** (of a time or order) former, past, previous, preceding
*** (especially of age, seniority etc.) older, elder, senior, more advanced, former
** (of a contest) victorious, conquering, stronger, superior
** (of a quality, condition or number) higher, more distinguished, greater, superior

#### Inflection

Third-declension comparative adjective.

#### Descendants

* → Catalan: superior
* → English: superior
* French: supérieur
* Friulian: superiôr
* Galician: superior
* Italian: superiore
* Occitan: superior
* Piedmontese: superior
* Portuguese: superior
* Romanian: superior
* Spanish: superior
* Dutch: superieur

### References

* “superior”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “superior”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
* superior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
* Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co. heights, high ground: loca edita, superiora last year: superiore, priore anno premises; consequences: prima (superiora); consequentia (Fin. 4. 19. 54) in his former consulship: superiore consulatu to gain a weak case by clever pleading: causam inferiorem dicendo reddere superiorem (λόγον κρείττω ποιειν) (Brut. 8. 30) to occupy the high ground: occupare loca superiora to have the advantage in cavalry: equitatu superiorem esse to come off victorious: superiorem (opp. inferiorem), victorem (proelio, pugna) discedere

## Occitan
### Etymology

From Latin superior.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

superior m (feminine singular superiora, masculine plural superiors, feminine plural superioras)
* superior

#### Related terms

* superioritat

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin superiōrem.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /su.pe.ɾiˈoʁ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoh], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoʁ/ [su.peˈɾjoh]
* (Brazil) IPA: /su.pe.ɾiˈoʁ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoh], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoʁ/ [su.peˈɾjoh]
** (São Paulo) IPA: /su.pe.ɾiˈoɾ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoɾ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoɾ/
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /su.pe.ɾiˈoʁ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoχ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoʁ/ [su.peˈɾjoχ]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /su.pe.ɾiˈoɻ/ [su.pe.ɾɪˈoɻ], (faster pronunciation) /su.peˈɾjoɻ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /su.pɨˈɾjoɾ/, (with elision) /su.pɾiˈoɾ/, (with elision, faster pronunciation) /suˈpɾjoɾ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /su.pɨˈɾjoɾ/, (with elision) /su.pɾiˈoɾ/, (with elision, faster pronunciation) /suˈpɾjoɾ/
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /su.pɨˈɾjo.ɾi/, (with elision) /su.pɾiˈo.ɾi/, (with elision, faster pronunciation) /suˈpɾjo.ɾi/
* Hyphenation: su‧pe‧ri‧or

### Adjective

superior m or f (plural superiores)
* upper, higher
* better
* superior

#### Antonyms

* inferior

#### Derived terms

* superiormente

#### Related terms

* superioridade

### Noun

superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)
* boss
* head of a monastery

### Further reading

* “superior”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French supérieur, Latin superior.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌsu.pe.riˈor/

### Adjective

superior m or n (feminine singular superioară, masculine plural superiori, feminine and neuter plural superioare)
* superior
    Antonym: inferior

#### Related terms

* superioritate

## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin superior.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /supeˈɾjoɾ/ [su.peˈɾjoɾ]
* Rhymes: -oɾ
* Syllabification: su‧pe‧rior

### Adjective

superior m or f (masculine and feminine plural superiores)
* upper, higher
* better
* superior

#### Derived terms

* anterosuperior
* corte superior
* educación superior
* elevador del párpado superior
* enseñanza superior
* letra superior
* límite superior
* parte superior
* paso superior
* posterosuperior
* raza superior
* superiormente
* tren superior
* vena cava superior

### Noun

superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)
* boss
    Synonyms: jefe, jefa, patrón, patrona

#### Related terms

* superioridad

### Further reading

* “superior”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10