inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər 
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.
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
Learning how to be the favorite, who plays under the pressure of expectation, instead of how to be the underdog, who plays with the freedom of the unexpected, can make plenty of players vulnerable against an inferior foe at the business end of a tournament.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Additionally, their overall air defense capabilities have been greatly constrained by their lack of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, leaving them with inferior, much less reliable, shorter-range missiles.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This has encouraged debates on the extent to which metajournalism is different from—or even inferior to—existing practices of journalism.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Joseph maintained she was retaliated against by the athletic department for complaining about the inferior treatment of her team and the coaching staff.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
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Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Additionally, their overall air defense capabilities have been greatly constrained by their lack of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, leaving them with inferior, much less reliable, shorter-range missiles.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This has encouraged debates on the extent to which metajournalism is different from—or even inferior to—existing practices of journalism.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Joseph maintained she was retaliated against by the athletic department for complaining about the inferior treatment of her team and the coaching staff.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferior. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər
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
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