— superiorly , adv.
/seuh pear"ee euhr, soo-/ , adj.
1. higher in station, rank, degree, importance, etc.: a superior officer.
2. above the average in excellence, merit, intelligence, etc.: superior math students.
3. of higher grade or quality: superior merchandise.
4. greater in quantity or amount: superior numbers.
5. showing a consciousness or feeling of being better than or above others: superior airs.
6. not yielding or susceptible (usually fol. by to ): to be superior to temptation.
7. higher in place or position: We moved our camp to superior ground.
8. Bot.
a. situated above some other organ.
b. (of a calyx) seeming to originate from the top of the ovary.
c. (of an ovary) free from the calyx.
9. Anat. (of an organ or part)
a. higher in place or position; situated above another.
b. toward the head. Cf. inferior (def. 7).
10. Print. written or printed high on a line of text, as the "2" in a 2 b; superscript. Cf. inferior (def. 9).
n.
11. one superior to another.
12. Also called superscript . Print. a superior letter, number, or symbol. Cf. inferior (def. 11).
13. Eccles. the head of a monastery, convent, or the like.
[ 1350-1400; ME (adj.) super ( us ) situated above (adj. deriv. of super; see SUPER-) + -ior comp. suffix; see -ER 4 ]
Syn. 2. excellent, distinguished, unrivaled, first-rate, matchless. 5. haughty, arrogant, snobbish.