| superior (suːˈpɪərɪə) |
| |
| —adj (foll by to) |
| 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. | not susceptible (to) or influenced (by) |
| 6. | placed higher up; situated further from the base |
| 7. | astronomy |
| | a. (of a planet) having an orbit further from the sun than the orbit of the earth |
| | b. (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 |
| |
| —n |
| 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 |
| |
| [C14: from Latin, from superus placed above, from super above] |
| |
| 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 |
| |
| su'perioress |
| |
| —fem n |
| |
| superiority |
| |
| —n |
| |
| su'periorly |
| |
| —adv |