superposition

noun

su·​per·​po·​si·​tion ˌsü-pər-pə-ˈzi-shən 

plural superpositions

: the placement of one thing above or on top of another

The principle used to determine whether one sedimentary rock is older than another is very simple, and is known as the law of superposition. Here is an example: A deposit of mud laid down this year in, say, the Gulf of Mexico will rest on top of a layer that was deposited last year.

—Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman

especially, physics : the combination of two distinct physical phenomena of the same type (such as spin or wavelength) so that they coexist as part of the same event

Schrödinger perversely suggested that until the box was opened and the outcome of the experiment observed, the particle must remain suspended in a superposition of two states: simultaneously going through both holes.

—George Johnson

In a quantum computer, however, the "transistors" remain in a superposition of 0 and 1 …

—Philip Yam

Examples of superposition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The same is true for the phenomenon of superposition, where a quantum object is described by a combination of distinct possibilities at once. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2026

However, measuring a qubit causes its superposition to collapse into a single, definite state. —IEEE Spectrum, 25 Jan. 2026

The first laser fixes each particle’s position with extreme precision, placing it into a superposition of possible paths. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026

This approach is particularly notable in 0° Receiver, in which live-action footage intermittently takes on a holographic sensibility that reinforces the principle of quantum superposition with surreal effect. —Andy St. Louis, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for superposition

• academician
• cycloaddition
• decomposition
• diagnostician
• disinhibition
• indisposition
• interposition
• juxtaposition
• mathematician
• metacognition
• metaphysician
• neurotransmission