From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsuperiorsu‧pe‧ri‧or1 /suːˈpɪəriə $ sʊˈpɪriər/ ●●○ adjective 1 BETTERbetter, more powerful, more effective etc than a similar person or thing, especially one that you are competing against OPP inferior Fletcher’s superior technique brought him victory.superior to Your computer is far superior to mine. He loves making fun of women. It makes him feel superior. a vastly superior (=very much better, stronger etc) army► see thesaurus at better2 PROUDthinking that you are better than other people – used to show disapproval She had that superior tone of voice.3 HIGH POSITION OR RANK[only before noun] having a higher position or rank than someone else OPP inferior Don’t you usually salute a superior officer? a superior court4 GOOD/EXCELLENT[only before noun] of very good quality – used especially in advertising a superior wine → Mother SuperiorGrammar• Something or someone is superior to another thing or person: We can’t say one language is superior to another. ✗Don’t say: superior than• Superior already has ‘more’ as part of its meaning. ✗Don’t say: more superiorCOLLOCATIONSadverbsfar/vastly/greatly superiorThey soon realized that the opposing team’s players were far superior to their own.infinitely superior (=very much better)You’d be better off visiting the infinitely superior Imperial War Museum.inherently superior (=better because of its nature)He believed that some races were inherently superior to others.morally superiorThey also accuse Christians of pretending to be morally superior.technically superiorOur job is to convince consumers that our product is technically superior to its competitors.nounssuperior qualityDigital radios offer a superior quality of sound.superior performanceThis boat meets the needs of serious yachtsmen who demand superior performance. superior knowledge/intelligenceShe was always showing off her superior knowledge.superior strength/powerHe used his superior strength to wrestle Ben to the ground.
Examples from the Corpus
superior• The first was a genuine belief that the graphical interface was superior.• a superior academic record• a superior attitude• It seems unlikely that they will jeopardise their superior circumstances by combining in an alliance with Third World workers against capital.• superior craftsmanship• Style, comfort and superior cuisine are the most important characteristics of a good hotel.• Instead, I laugh, a throaty, superior laugh.• Are you questioning the orders of a superior officer?• Our aim is to provide our clients with a superior service at all times.• The company has a reputation for superior technology and customer loyalty.• They claimed that a vegetarian diet was superior to a meat diet.• We think that our own race is incomparably superior to any other...• Lightbown's critical grasp of the bibliography and reading of the documents are superior to Bertelli's.• She always acts so superior to everyone else.• Even without him, the force against which Rodrigo now found himself ranged was vastly superior to his own.• For a significant theory, two tests are far superior to one.feel superior• Nevertheless, already we are enjoying it, and already we feel superior.• He could have felt superior and thought them all fools for pitying him for getting what he wanted.• It made him feel superior and worldly wise.• Talk shows hosts like Jenny Jones and Ricki Lake are popular because the viewers enjoy feeling superior to the on-air participants.• Who are we feeling superior to when we laugh at Hudibras?superior officer• He had been proved mistaken and had probably suffered a somewhat humiliating rebuff from his superior officer.• He was a man who had mastered himself, and although his manner was informal he was manifestly the superior officer.• That is no way to address your superior officer.• There was a third thing: he had caught sight of a superior officer: John Coffin.• So is lying to a superior officer, whatever the cause. superiorsuperior2 ●○○ noun [countable] HIGH POSITION OR RANKsomeone who has a higher rank or position than you, especially in a job He had a good working relationship with his immediate superior (=the person directly above him).Examples from the Corpus
superior• Its chief selling point is the undoubted superiority of its after-sales service.• The sergeant, the proverbial piggy-in-the-middle, was the ready scapegoat for both juniors and superiors.• The men shouted at superiors, damn near grew violent.• Not until other assigned friars lost courage did his superiors send Serra with his student and confidant Francisco Palou to the work.• He failed to follow a direct order from his superior.• Nor did Bo ever meet his superior, who passed him messages through an intermediary.• The report he submitted to his superiors accurately reflected the poor morale of the workers.• Your most important working relationship is with your immediate superior.• Women who have been harassed by male superiors often don't complain because they are afraid of losing their jobs.• Like the new managers, most superiors emphasized that the manager was the one with formal authority and decision-making responsibility.• As abbot of Bec, Anselm had owed obedience to several superiors whose permission he had sought before accepting the archbishopric.• Some superiors were more zealous than others to enforce the disciplinary code.• The uniformed cops and a couple of detectives were watching their superiors slug it out.immediate superior• Clint Eastwood is usually threatened with dismissal in his detective movies, sometimes because his immediate superior is on the take.• Each commander began to beseech his immediate superior for reinforcements.• The make-or-break factor in this delicate post-course period is the attitude of the person's immediate superior.• Can teachers be disciplined for publicly criticizing their immediate superiors?• The managers generally failed to take advantage of a potentially valuable resource, their immediate superiors.• Restoring a damaged relationship with a superior Your most important working relationship is with your immediate superior.From Longman Business Dictionarysuperiorsu‧pe‧ri‧or1 /suːˈpɪəriəsʊˈpɪriər/ adjective1better in quality than other things of the same kindThe agency lets superior apartments and houses to international companies.Its products are seen as superior to many models produced by its American rival.2having a higher position or rank than someone or somethingCivil servants are accountable for their decisions either tosuperior officers or to the general public.The case was filed in the Los Angelessuperior court.superiorsuperior2 noun [countable]HUMAN RESOURCESJOB someone with a higher position or rank than another person, especially in a jobSuperiors sometimes find it difficult to delegate their authority.You should communicate clearly both to subordinates (=people of a lower position or rank) and your superiors.Origin superior1 (1300-1400) Old French superieur, from Latin superior “further above”, from superus “upper”, from super; → SUPER- 