Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Inferior
In-fe′ri-or
,Adj.
[L., compar. of
inferus
that is below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under
: cf. F. inférieur
. See Under
.] 1.
Lower in place, rank, value, excellence, etc.; less important or valuable; subordinate; underneath; beneath.
A thousand
inferior
and particular propositions. I. Watts.
The body, or, as some love to call it, our
inferior
nature. Burke.
Whether they are equal or
inferior
to my other poems, an author is the most improper judge. Dryden.
2.
Poor or mediocre;
as, an
. inferior
quality of goods3.
(Astron.)
(a)
Nearer the sun than the earth is;
as, the
inferior
or interior planets; an inferior
conjunction of Mercury or Venus. (b)
Below the horizon;
as, the
. inferior
part of a meridian4.
(Bot.)
(a)
Situated below some other organ; – said of a calyx when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior calyx.
(b)
On the side of a flower which is next the bract; anterior.
5.
(Min.)
Junior or subordinate in rank;
as, an
. inferior
officerInferior court
(Law)
, a court subject to the jurisdiction of another court known as the
– superior court
, or higher court
. Inferior letter
,
Inferior figure
(Print.)
, a small letter or figure standing at the bottom of the line (opposed to
– superior letter
or figure), as in A
. 2
, Bn
, 2 and n are inferior
charactersInferior tide
, the tide corresponding to the moon’s transit of the meridian, when below the horizon.
In-fe′ri-or
,Noun.
A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than another.
A great person gets more by obliging his
inferior
than by disdaining him. South.
Webster 1828 Edition
Inferior
INFE'RIOR
,Adj.
1.
Lower in place.2.
Lower in station, age, or rank in life. Pay due respect to those who are superior in station, and due civility to those who are inferior.3.
Lower in excellence or value; as a poem of inferior merit; cloth of inferior quality or price.4.
Subordinate; of less importance. Attend to health and safety; ease and convenience are inferior considerations.INFE'RIOR
,Noun.
A person gets more by obliging his inferior, than by disdaining him.
Definition 2024
inferior
inferior
English
Alternative forms
- inferiour (obsolete)
Adjective
inferior (not comparable)
- of lower quality
- Anna had always felt inferior to her brother due to poor school grades.
- Dryden
- Whether they are equal or inferior to my other poems, an author is the most improper judge.
- of lower rank
- an inferior officer
- located below
- (typography) Printed in subscript.
- an inferior figure or letter
- (typography) Printed in subscript.
- (botany) Situated below some other organ; said of a calyx when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior calyx.
- (botany) On the side of a flower which is next to the bract; anterior.
- (astronomy) Nearer to the Sun than the Earth is.
- the inferior or interior planets; an inferior conjunction of Mercury or Venus
- (astronomy) Below the horizon.
- the inferior part of a meridian
Usage notes
Inferior and superior are generally followed by to; than is seen sometimes, but is viewed as wrong.
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:bad
Antonyms
Coordinate terms
- (dentistry location adjectives) anterior, apical, apicocoronal, axial, buccal, buccoapical, buccocervical, buccogingival, buccolabial, buccolingual, bucco-occlusal, buccopalatal, cervical, coronal, coronoapical, distal, distoapical, distobuccal, distocervical, distocoronal, distofacial, distogingival, distoincisal, distolingual, disto-occlusal, distoclusal, distocclusal, distopalatal, facial, gingival, incisal, inferior, labial, lingual, linguobuccal, linguo-occlusal, mandibular, maxillary, mesial, mesioapical, mesiobuccal, mesiocervical, mesiocoronal, mesiodistal, mesiofacial, mesioincisal, mesiogingival, mesiolingual, mesio-occlusal, mesioclusal, mesiocclusal, mesiopalatal, occlusal, palatal, posterior, proximal, superior, vestibular (Category: en:Dentistry) [edit]
Related terms
Translations
of lower quality
of lower rank
located below
inside the flower stalk
Noun
inferior (plural inferiors)
- a person of lower stature to another
- As you are my inferior, I can tell you to do anything I want.
Antonyms
Translations
person of lower status (noun)
Anagrams
Latin
Etymology
Comparative form of īnferus.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /inˈfe.ri.or/, [ĩːˈfɛ.ri.ɔr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /inˈfe.ri.or/, [inˈfeː.ri.or]
Adjective
īnferior (comparative of īnferus)
Inflection
Third declension, comparative variant
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | Masc./Fem. | Neuter | |
| nominative | īnferior | īnferius | īnferiōrēs | īnferiōra | |
| genitive | īnferiōris | īnferiōrum | |||
| dative | īnferiōrī | īnferiōribus | |||
| accusative | īnferiōrem | īnferius | īnferiōrēs | īnferiōra | |
| ablative | īnferiōre | īnferiōribus | |||
| vocative | īnferior | īnferius | īnferiōrēs | īnferiōra | |
Descendants
References
- inferior in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- inferior in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “inferior”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
- Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- later writers: scriptores aetate posteriores or inferiores
- to gain a weak case by clever pleading: causam inferiorem dicendo reddere superiorem (λόγον κρείττω ποιειν) (Brut. 8. 30)
- to be defeated in fight, lose the battle: proelio vinci, superari, inferiorem, victum discedere
- to come off victorious: superiorem (opp. inferiorem), victorem (proelio, pugna) discedere
- later writers: scriptores aetate posteriores or inferiores
Portuguese
Etymology
Pronunciation
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ĩ.fɨˈɾjoɾ/
- Hyphenation: in‧fe‧ri‧or
Adjective
inferior m, f (plural inferiores, comparable)