superior

[suh-peer-ee-er, soo-] /səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ-/
adjective
1.
higher in station, rank, degree, importance, etc.:
a superior officer.
2.
above the average in excellence, merit, intelligence, etc.:
superior math students.
3.
of higher grade or quality:
superior merchandise.
4.
greater in quantity or amount:
superior numbers.
5.
showing a consciousness or feeling of being better than or above others:
superior airs.
6.
not yielding or susceptible (usually followed by to):
to be superior to temptation.
7.
higher in place or position:
We moved our camp to superior ground.
8.
Botany.
  1. situated above some other organ.
  2. (of a calyx) seeming to originate from the top of the ovary.
  3. (of an ovary) free from the calyx.
9.
Anatomy.
  1. higher in place or position; situated above another.
  2. toward the head.
    Compare inferior (def 7).
10.
Printing. written or printed high on a line of text, as the “2” in a 2 b; superscript.
Compare inferior (def 9).
noun
11.
one superior to another.
12.
Also called superscript. Printing. a superior letter, number, or symbol.
Compare inferior (def 11).
13.
Ecclesiastical. the head of a monastery, convent, or the like.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English (adj.) < Latin, equivalent to super(us) situated above (adj. derivative of super; see super-) + -ior comparative suffix; see -er4
Related forms
superiorly, adverb
quasi-superior, adjective
unsuperior, adjective
unsuperiorly, adverb
Synonyms
2. excellent, distinguished, unrivaled, first-rate, matchless. 5. haughty, arrogant, snobbish.

Superior

[suh-peer-ee-er, soo-] /səˈpɪər i ər, sʊ-/
noun
1.
Lake, a lake in the N central United States and S Canada: the northernmost of the Great Lakes; the largest body of fresh water in the world. 350 miles (564 km) long; 31,820 sq. mi. (82,415 sq. km); greatest depth, 1290 feet (393 meters); 602 feet (183 meters) above sea level.
2.
a port in NW Wisconsin, on Lake Superior.
Examples from the web for superior
  • These promotions are recommended by the officers immediate superior.
  • He finds, however, that they no longer regard him as a friend, but rather as a superior.
  • There is a considerable amount of lighthearted debate over which brand is superior.
British Dictionary definitions for superior

superior

/suːˈpɪərɪə/
adjective
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.
(often postpositive) foll by to. not susceptible (to) or influenced (by)
6.
placed higher up; situated further from the base
7.
(astronomy)
  1. (of a planet) having an orbit further from the sun than the orbit of the earth
  2. (of a conjunction) occurring when the sun lies between the earth and an inferior planet
8.
(of a plant ovary) situated above the calyx and other floral parts
9.
(anatomy) (of one part in relation to another) situated above or higher
10.
(printing) (of a character) written or printed above the line; superscript
noun
11.
a person or thing of greater rank or quality
12.
(printing) a character set in a superior position
13.
(often capital) the head of a community in a religious order
Derived Forms
superioress, noun:feminine
superiority (suːˌpɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ) noun
superiorly, adverb
Usage note
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
Word Origin
C14: from Latin, from superus placed above, from super above

Superior

/suːˈpɪərɪə; sjuː-/
noun
1.
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)
Word Origin and History for superior
adj.

late 14c., "higher in position," from Old French superior, from Latin superiorem (nominative superior) "higher," comparative of superus "situated above, upper," from super "above, over" (see super-). Meaning "higher in rank or dignity" is attested from late 15c.; sense of "of a higher nature or character" is attested from 1530s. Original sense was preserved more strongly in French (cf. les étages supérieur "the upper stories"), and in Lake Superior, a loan-translation of French Lac Supérieur, literally "upper lake" (it has the highest elevation of the five Great Lakes).

superior in Medicine

superior su·pe·ri·or (su-pēr'ē-ər)
adj.

  1. Higher than another in rank, station, or authority.

  2. Situated above or directed upward.

  3. Situated nearer the top of the head.

su·pe'ri·or·ly adv.
Encyclopedia Article for superior

Superior

city, seat (1854) of Douglas county, extreme northwestern Wisconsin, U.S. It lies at the western tip of Lake Superior, opposite Duluth, Minnesota, from which it is separated by St. Louis Bay. A port of entry, it shares an extensive natural harbour with Duluth, forming the western terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

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