INFERIOR
deficient, inferior, substandard
(adjective) falling short of some prescribed norm; “substandard housing”
inferior
(adjective) of or characteristic of low rank or importance
inferior
(adjective) of low or inferior quality
inferior
(adjective) having an orbit between the sun and the Earth’s orbit; “Mercury and Venus are inferior planets”
subscript, inferior
(adjective) written or printed below and to one side of another character
inferior
(adjective) lower than a given reference point; “inferior alveolar artery”
subscript, inferior
(noun) a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character
inferior
(noun) one of lesser rank or station or quality
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
inferior (comparative more inferior, superlative most inferior)
of lower quality
of lower rank
located below
(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.
(astronomy) Below the horizon.
Usage notes
Inferior and superior are generally followed by to; than is seen sometimes, but is viewed as wrong.
Synonyms
• See also bad
Antonyms
• superior
Noun
inferior (plural inferiors)
a person of lower stature to another
Antonym: superior
Anagrams
• fire iron, fireiron
Source: Wiktionary
In*fe"ri*or, a. Etym: [L., compar. of inferus that is below,
underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf. F. inférieur. See
Under.]
1. Lower in place, rank, 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 goods.
3. (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 meridian,
4. (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.)
Definition: Junior or subordinate in rank; as, an inferior officer.
Inferior court (Law), a court subject to the jurisdiction of another
court known as the superior, 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 A2, Bn, 2 and n are inferior characters.
– Inferior tide, the tide corresponding to the moon's transit of
the meridian, when below the horizon.
In*fe"ri*or, n.
Definition: A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than another.
A great person gets more by obliging his inferior than by disdaining
him. South.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition