— inferiority /in fear'ee awr"i tee, -or"-/ , n. — inferiorly , adv.
/in fear"ee euhr/ , adj.
1. lower in station, rank, degree, or grade (often fol. 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. Bot.
a. situated below some other organ.
b. (of a calyx) inserted below the ovary.
c. (of an ovary) having a superior calyx.
7. Anat. (of an organ or part)
a. lower in place or position; situated beneath another.
b. toward the feet. Cf. superior (def. 9).
8. Astron. lying below the horizon: the inferior part of a meridian.
9. Print. written or printed low on a line of text, as the "2" in H 2 O; subscript. Cf. superior (def. 10).
n.
10. a person inferior to another or others, as in rank or merit.
11. Also called subscript . Print. a letter, number, or symbol written or printed low on a line of text. Cf. superior (def. 12).
[ 1400-50; late ME infer ( us ) lower (cf. UNDER) + -ior comp. suffix ]
Syn. 3. mediocre, low-quality, second-rate.