supersede
verb
Did you know?
Language is constantly evolving, with old spellings and meanings superseded by new ones over time. Naturally, supersede itself has its share of predecessors. Supersede ultimately comes from the Latin verb supersedēre, meaning "to sit on top of" (sedēre means "to sit"), "to be superior to," or "to refrain from," but it came to English through Scots Middle English, where it was rendered superceden and used synonymously with defer. Modern English speakers are often confused about how to spell supersede—it sometimes turns up as supercede. In fact, some of the earliest records of the word in English show it spelled with a c. Though both spellings can be etymologically justified, over time supersede won out as the "correct" version.
Examples of supersede in a Sentence
Harriet Hall, Skeptic, 2007
The ancient human carriers of information and understanding—elders, priests, bards, teachers, and community members—are superseded by a more durable and efficient medium, the printed word.
—M. Rex Miller, The Millennium Matrix, 2004
Upgrading America's too-old, too-slow telephone network, which took about a century to build, is a massive task. But if you believe predictions that the Internet will one day supersede the telephone as the world's primary means of communications, these companies will be road kill if they simply sit by the wayside.
—Bethany McLean, Fortune, 6 Dec. 1999
This edition supersedes the previous one.
Former stars were being superseded by younger actors.
Mohaimina Haque, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Federal, state and even municipal policy will supersede churches’ best efforts to support and perhaps even shield immigrations.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
The agency’s website notes that Idaho and Colorado’s rules supersede the 2001 rule, while Alaska’s is pending.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 25 June 2025
Now insert the Club World Cup, which is FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s baby and fits nicely with the organization’s apparent belief that more games and more money supersede everything else.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for supersede
Cite this Entry
“Supersede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supersede. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
supersede
verb
Middle English superceden "to defer," from early French superceder, from Latin supersedēre "to sit on top of, refrain from," from super "over, above," and sedēre "to sit"
Legal Definition
supersede
transitive verb
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