supersede

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verb su·per·sede \ ˌsü-pər-ˈsēd \

Definition of supersede

superseded; superseding

transitive verb

1 a :to cause to be set aside

b :to force out of use as inferior

2 :to take the place or position of

3 :to displace in favor of another

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superseder

noun

See supersede defined for English-language learners

See supersede defined for kids

supersede was our Word of the Day on 10/10/2010. Hear the podcast!

Examples of supersede in a Sentence

Fortunately, the scientific enterprise has its own self-correcting mechanisms that eventually sort things out. Studies that are wrong will be superseded by better studies with different results. Studies that are right will be corroborated by other good studies. —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The ancient human carriers of information and understanding—elders, priests, bards, teachers, and community members—are superseded by a more durable and efficient medium, the printed word.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Former stars were being superseded by younger actors.

Recent Examples of supersede from the Web

The new Joker-Harley Quinn project appears to have superseded Gotham City Sirens at this point.

— matt miller, Esquire, "With Yet Another Joker Movie, It's Clear DC Is Ready to Ruin the Character," 24 Aug. 2017
Family members said she was told Wednesday that her attorneys need to address the removal order, intimating that the removal order legally supersedes her DACA protections.

— mark curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "Sources: ICE says it will release Florence mom with legal DACA status," 24 Aug. 2017
The move enables the Constituent Assembly to supersede the country’s legislature, the National Assembly, which has been led by opposition parties since last year and is the only branch of government not controlled by Mr. Maduro.

— nicholas casey, New York Times, "Venezuela’s New, Powerful Assembly Takes Over Legislature’s Duties," 18 Aug. 2017
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis have issued more normal-sounding statements intended to supersede the president’s improvised one.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Ignore Our Crazy President, U.S. Government Tells North Korea," 9 Aug. 2017
And like many other new religious movements, Millah Abraham is dreaming big, with hopes to supersede Christianity and Islam as the dominant Abrahamic faith.

— jon emont, The Atlantic, "Why Are There No New Major Religions?," 6 Aug. 2017
The body will supersede the national assembly, which is dominated by the opposition.

— fabiola zerpa, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuelan Arrests Show Maduro Moving Fast to Snatch Power," 1 Aug. 2017
The out-of-this-world cupcakes at Scottcakes supersede any bathing suit season resolutions. 5.

— sarah solomon, Town & Country, "25 Reasons You Summer in Cape Cod," 27 July 2017
My native city had decided that Lenin superseded Peter the Apostle in world-historical import, so St. Petersburg became Leningrad.

— alexander nazaryan, MSNBC Newsweek, "Why Russia Still Loves Josef Stalin, One of the 20th Century's Most Brutal Despots," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'supersede.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of supersede

Middle English (Scots) superceden to defer, from Middle French superceder, from Latin supersedēre to sit on top, refrain from, from super- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1654

See Words from the same year

supersede Synonyms

Synonyms

cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute, replace, supplant

Related Words

preempt, usurp

Synonym Discussion of supersede

replace, displace, supplant, supersede mean to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another. replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

- replaced the broken window

displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

- war had displaced thousands

supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.