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more about inferior
inferior |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, a. [L., compar. of inferus that is below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf F. inf['e]rieur. 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.) 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 A_{2}, B_{n}, 2 and n are inferior characters. {Inferior tide}, the tide corresponding to the moon's transit of the meridian, when below the horizon. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, n. A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than another. A great person gets more by obliging his inferior than by disdaining him --South. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: inferior adj 1: of or characteristic of low rank or importance [ant: {superior}] 2: of low or inferior quality [ant: {superior}] 3: inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary" [syn: {junior-grade}, {lower}, {lower-ranking}, {lowly}, {petty(a)}, {secondary}, {subaltern}, {subordinate}] 4: (printing) written or printed below and to one side of another character [syn: {subscript}] [ant: {adscript}, {superscript}] 5: (astronomy) having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit; "Mercury and Venus are inferior planets" [ant: {superior}] 6: falling short of some prescribed norm; "substandard housing" [syn: {deficient}, {substandard}] n 1: one of lesser rank or station or quality [ant: {superior}] 2: a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character [syn: {subscript}] [ant: {superscript}]
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