inferior
Use Inferior in a sentence
i adjective
1.
lower in station, rank, degree, or grade (often followed by to ): a rank inferior to colonel.
2.
lower in place or position; closer to the bottom or base: descending into the inferior regions of the earth.
3.
of comparatively low grade; poor in quality; substandard: an inferior product.
4.
less important, valuable, or worthy: B+ bonds are inferior to AAA bonds.
5.
acting or performing in a way that is comparatively poor or mediocre: an inferior observer of human nature.
6.
Botany.
a.
situated below some other organ.
b.
(of a calyx) inserted below the ovary.
c.
(of an ovary) having a superior calyx.
7.
Anatomy.
a.
lower in place or position; situated beneath another.
b.
toward the feet. Compare superior ( def 9 ).
8.
Astronomy. lying below the horizon: the inferior part of a meridian.
9.
noun
10.
a person inferior to another or others, as in rank or merit.
00:10
Inferior
is always a great word to know.
So is pelvic cavity. Does it mean:
| the urinary bladder, part of the large intestine, and internal reproductive organs are housed |
| Longitudinal plane that divides the body of a bilaterally symmetrical animal into right and left parts |
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin, equivalent to infer(us) lower (cf. under) + -ior comparative suffix
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin, equivalent to infer(us) lower (cf. under) + -ior comparative suffix
Related forms
in·fe·ri·or·ly, adverb
qua·si-in·fe·ri·or, adjective
sub·in·fe·ri·or, adjective
Synonyms
3. mediocre, low-quality, second-rate.
3. mediocre, low-quality, second-rate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To inferior
Collins
World English Dictionary
inferior (ɪnˈfɪərɪə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | lower in value or quality |
| 2. | lower in rank, position, or status; subordinate |
| 3. | not of the best; mediocre; commonplace |
| 4. | lower in position; situated beneath |
| 5. | (of a plant ovary) enclosed by and fused with the receptacle so that it is situated below the other floral parts |
| 6. | astronomy |
| a. orbiting or occurring between the sun and the earth: an inferior planet; inferior conjunction | |
| b. lying below the horizon | |
| 7. | printing (of a character) printed at the foot of an ordinary character, as the 2 in H2O |
| —n | |
| 8. | an inferior person |
| 9. | printing an inferior character |
| [C15: from Latin: lower, from inferus low] | |
| inferiority | |
| —n | |
| in'feriorly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
inferior
early 15c., from L. inferior "lower," comp. form of inferus (adj.) "that is below or beneath," from infra "below." Noun meaning "a person inferior to another in rank, etc.," is from c.1500. Inferiority complex first attested 1922.
"The surrender of life is nothing to sinking down into acknowledgment of inferiority." [John C. Calhoun]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
inferior in·fe·ri·or (ĭn-fēr'ē-ər)
adj.
Low or lower in order, degree, or rank.
Low or lower in quality, value, or estimation.
Second-rate; poor.
Situated below or directed downward.
In human anatomy, situated nearer the soles in relation to a reference point.
in·fe'ri·or'i·ty (-ôr'ĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
Some of our ancestors are clearly inferior to us, with smaller brains and apelike countenances.
Sometimes there are two foramina on the posterior surface, or one on the posterior and another on the inferior surface.
It is as though a news-stand carried two versions of every magazine-one costly, the other inferior but free.
It doesn't do wonders for your country's ego to brag about your inferior products.
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