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 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 And Nichols was brash, but also both an idealistic and sophisticated guy going to Hollywood where he is confronted with a way of working and a set of standards that are, to his mind, inferior and that present innumerable obstacles to his vision. Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 14 Feb. 2024 Video calling is now an essential part of office life, and here the Vision Pro is especially inferior to a laptop with a camera. Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 That arrogance took a hit when the quality of play at Pyeongchang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022 was far inferior to the tournaments that had included NHL players. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Many fishermen prefer to release grayling — their meat is similar to whitefish, which most consider inferior to trout. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Putin also had to change the head of his Ministry of Defense several times near the end of the first year of the invasion after failing to make the necessary gains against what many had deemed an inferior force. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 17 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 19 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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