inferior

adjective

in·​fe·​ri·​or in-ˈfir-ē-ər How to pronounce inferior (audio)
1
: of little or less importance, value, or merit
always felt inferior to his older brother
2
a
: of low or lower degree or rank
b
: of poor quality : mediocre
3
: situated lower down : lower
4
a
: situated below another and especially another similar superior part of an upright body
b
: situated in a relatively low posterior or ventral position in a quadrupedal body
c(1)
: situated below another plant part or organ
(2)
5
: relating to or being a subscript
inferior noun
inferiority noun
inferiorly adverb

Examples of inferior in a Sentence

… the pearls were of inferior quality; they looked like pearlized globs of varying wrinkly shapes. Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2002
Sharks, rays, and ratfishes share a special burden: these cartilaginous fishes are saddled with a reputation for being somehow inferior to vertebrates blessed with bony skeletons. Carl Zimmer, Natural History, September 2000
No longer do workers and peasants feel inferior to the university-trained. Rhea Menzel Whitehead, Saturday Review, 4 Mar. 1972
These pearls are of inferior quality. They were considered a socially inferior group. He always felt inferior around his brother. The judges voted to overturn a ruling made by an inferior court.
Recent Examples on the Web This is not to say that Garrison Brothers is inferior to Still Austin, but that the whiskeys coming out of each distillery could not be more different, something that holds true across the wide landscape of Texas whiskey. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2024 And there’s no shortage of examples of government heavy handedness leading to inferior products. Kylie Robison, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 The Northern California racing circuit, admittedly inferior to the quality of racing in the south, is built on the idea of running California-breds. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 After internalizing the fallacy that their hair was inferior, Camille and Taylor learn to embrace their natural hair textures, which includes refining both their wash-day routine and their cocktail of products in ways that suit their curl patterns and porosity. The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 For decades, American maestros had been cast aside in classical music, seen as inferior to Europeans. Javier C. Hernández, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Occasionally, estates and heirs have been criticized for tarnishing an author’s legacy by releasing inferior or unfinished works in order to squeeze the last bit of intellectual property out of a literary brand name. Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Despite the myths that hold humans inferior, to the Faes' amazement, Lore can read and translate their language. Carole V. Bell, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 Ultimately, this unequal access to Medicare benefits and cost-sharing assistance contributes to a scenario where low-income elderly Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico may experience inferior health care services compared with their counterparts in the states. Mariela Torres Cintrón, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inferior.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, comparative of inferus lower — more at under

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of inferior was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near inferior

Cite this Entry

“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferior. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inferior

1 of 2 adjective
in·​fe·​ri·​or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər
1
: situated lower down
2
: of low or lower degree or rank
3
: of little or less importance, value, or merit

inferior

2 of 2 noun
: an inferior person or thing

Medical Definition

inferior

adjective
in·​fe·​ri·​or in-ˈfir-ē-ər How to pronounce inferior (audio)
1
: situated below and closer to the feet than another and especially another similar part of an upright body especially of a human being compare superior sense 1
2
: situated in a more posterior or ventral position in the body of a quadruped compare superior sense 2

Legal Definition

inferior

adjective
in·​fe·​ri·​or
: of lower status, rank, or priority

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