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
Instead of allowing senior citizens and disabled first-responders choose the plan that was right for them — and the vast majority have chosen traditional Medicare — de Blasio forced every one of them into an inferior Medicare Advantage plan run by a for-profit insurance company.
—Marianne Pizzitola, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
The bolder value vision is in using new AI capabilities to solve long-standing inefficiencies or problems that may have been targeted before, albeit with inferior technology.
—Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
These people could have competed in XY sports competitions before Title IX, but no team would have them because of their inferior strength compared to the average XY person.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
Early on, Pitt’s Sonny Hayes makes intentional contact with other cars and the barriers to purposely bring out the safety car to help teammate Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, get the inferior APXGP car closer to the pack on restarts.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
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Marianne Pizzitola, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
The bolder value vision is in using new AI capabilities to solve long-standing inefficiencies or problems that may have been targeted before, albeit with inferior technology.
—Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
These people could have competed in XY sports competitions before Title IX, but no team would have them because of their inferior strength compared to the average XY person.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
Early on, Pitt’s Sonny Hayes makes intentional contact with other cars and the barriers to purposely bring out the safety car to help teammate Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, get the inferior APXGP car closer to the pack on restarts.
—Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferior. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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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