different between legend vs superior

English

Etymology

From Middle English legende, from Old French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda (“a legend, story, especially the lives of the saints”), from Latin legenda (“things which ought to be read”), from lego (“I read”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?d?.?nd/

Noun

legend (countable and uncountable, plural legends)

1. An unrealistic story depicting past events.
   1. A story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events.

      Synonym: myth

   2. A plausible story set in the historical past, but whose historicity is uncertain.

   3. A story in which a kernel of truth is embellished to an unlikely degree.

      Synonyms: myth, tall tale

   4. A fabricated backstory for a spy, with associated documents and records.

      Synonym: cover story

      • 1992, Ronald Kessler, Inside the CIA, 1994 Pocket Books edition, ?ISBN, page 115:

        If the documents are needed to establish "a light legend," meaning a superficial cover story, no steps are taken to make sure that if someone calls the college or motor vehicle department, the name on the document will be registered.

      • 2003, Rodney Carlisle, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spies and Espionage, Alpha Books, ?ISBN, page 105:

        Sorge solidified his own position by returning to Germany and developing a new legend. He joined the Nazi Party […] .

      • 2005, Curtis Peebles, Twilight Warriors, Naval Institute Press, ?ISBN, page 25:

        Both the agent's legend and documents were intended to stand up against casual questions from Soviet citizens, such as during a job interview, or a routine police document check, such as were made at railway stations.

2. A person related to a legend or legends.
   1. A leading protagonist in a historical legend.

      Synonym: hero

   2. A person with legend-like qualities, such as extraordinary accomplishment.
      1. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, colloquial, slang) A cool, nice or helpful person, especially one who is male.

         Synonym: brick

3. A key to the symbols and color codes on a map, chart, etc.

   Synonyms: guide, key

4. (numismatics, heraldry) An inscription, motto, or title, especially one surrounding the field in a medal or coin, or placed upon a heraldic shield or beneath an engraving or illustration.

   Synonym: inscription

5. A musical composition set to a poetical story.
6. (naval) The design and specification of a vessel.
   • 1929, Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Inc (page 304)

     The legend displacement on the basis then in use was 48,000 tons, the corresponding standard displacement as defined by the Washington Treaty being 47,540 tons.

   • 1976, Alan Raven, ?John Roberts, British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleships and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946 (page 63)

     The legend and sketch designs were submitted to the Board on 27th March 1916 and, after examining a model and the drawings, the Sea Lords generally favoured proposal 'B'; the extra weight involved being acceptable.

Derived terms

Related terms

• lege
• legendary

Translations

Verb

legend (third-person singular simple present legends, present participle legending, simple past and past participle legended)

1. (archaic, transitive) To tell or narrate; to recount.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Hall to this entry?)

Further reading

• legend in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• legend in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Dutch

Pronunciation

Participle

legend

1. present participle of legen

Declension

Anagrams

• gelden, gleden, legden

German

Verb

legend

1. present participle of legen

Polish

Noun

legend

1. genitive plural of legenda

Swedish

Etymology

From Medieval Latin legenda

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le.?end/, [l?.???nd]

Noun

legend c

1. legend

Declension

References

legend in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• degeln

English

Alternative forms

• superiour (British) (obsolete)

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Old French superiour, from Latin superior (“higher, upper”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /su??p??.?i.?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /s??p??.i.?/
• Rhymes: -???i?(?)

Adjective

superior (not comparable)

1. Higher in rank, status, or quality.
   1. Of high standard or quality.
   2. Greater in size or power.
   3. (superior to) Beyond the power or influence of; too great or firm to be subdued or affected by.
   4. Greater or better than average.

      Synonym: extraordinary

2. Courageously or serenely indifferent (as to something painful or disheartening).
3. (typography) Printed in superscript.

4. Located above or out; higher in position.
   1. (botany) (of a calyx) Above the ovary; said of parts of the flower which, although normally below the ovary, adhere to it, and so appear to originate from its upper part.
   2. (botany) (of an ovary) Above and free from the other floral organs.
   3. (botany) Belonging to the part of an axillary flower which is toward the main stem.

      Synonym: posterior

   4. (botany) (of the radicle) Pointing toward the apex of the fruit.

      Synonym: ascending

5. (taxonomy) More comprehensive.

6. Affecting or assuming an air of superiority.

   Synonym: supercilious

7. (astronomy) (of a planet) Closer to the Earth than to the Sun.

Usage notes

• Superior and inferior are generally followed by to; than is sometimes used mistakenly.

Antonyms

• inferior

Coordinate terms

• (dentistry location adjectives) anterior,? apical,? apicocoronal,? axial,? buccal,? buccoapical,? buccocervical,? buccogingival,? buccolabial,? buccolingual,? bucco-occlusal,? buccopalatal,? cervical,? coronal,? coronoapical,? distal,? distoapical,? distobuccal,? distocervical,? distocoronal,? distofacial,? distogingival,? distoincisal,? distolingual,? disto-occlusal,? distoclusal,? distocclusal,? distopalatal,? facial,? gingival,? incisal,? incisocervical,? inferior,? labial,? lingual,? linguobuccal,? linguo-occlusal,? mandibular,? maxillary,? mesial,? mesioapical,? mesiobuccal,? mesiocervical,? mesiocoronal,? mesiodistal,? mesiofacial,? mesioincisal,? mesiogingival,? mesiolingual,? mesio-occlusal,? mesioclusal,? mesiocclusal,? mesiopalatal,? occlusal,? palatal,? posterior,? proximal,? superior,? vestibular ^{(Category: en:Dentistry) [edit]}

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

superior (plural superiors)

1. A person of higher rank or quality, especially a colleague in a higher position.

   Synonym: overling

   1. The senior person in a monastic community.
   2. The head of certain religious institutions and colleges.

      Hyponyms: father superior, mother superior

2. (printing) A superior letter, figure, or symbol.

   Synonym: superscript

3. (Scotland, law, historical) One who has made an original grant of heritable property to a tenant or vassal, on condition of a certain annual payment (feu duty) or of the performance of certain services.

Translations

References

• “superior”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “superior”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).
• superior in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• superior at OneLook Dictionary Search

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin superior, attested from 1653.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /su.p?.?i?o/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /su.pe.?i?o?/

Adjective

superior (masculine and feminine plural superiors)

1. superior, higher, high

   Antonym: inferior

Related terms

• superioritat

Noun

superior m or f (plural superiors)

1. superior

References

Further reading

• “superior” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “superior” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “superior” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Latin

Etymology

Comparative of superus (“that is above, upper, higher”), from super (“above, over”, preposition) +? -us (adjectival suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /su?pe.ri.or/, [s???p??i?r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /su?pe.ri.or/, [su?p???i?r]

Adjective

superior (neuter superius, positive superus); third declension

1. (of place) Higher, upper.
2. (of time or order of succession) Former, past, previous, preceding.
   1. (especially of age, time of life, etc.) Older, elder, senior, more advanced, former.
3. (of strength or success in battle or any contest) Victorious, conquering, stronger, superior.
4. (of quality, condition, number, etc.) Higher, more distinguished, greater, superior.

Inflection

Third-declension comparative adjective.

Descendants

References

• superior in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• superior in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• superior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin superior.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /su.p???jo?/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /su.pe.?i.?o?/
• Hyphenation: su?pe?ri?or

Adjective

superior m or f (plural superiores, comparable)

1. upper, higher
2. better
3. superior

Antonyms

• inferior

Derived terms

• superiormente

Related terms

• superioridade

Noun

superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)

1. boss
2. head of a monastery

Further reading

• “superior” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French supérieur, Latin superior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?su.pe.ri?or/

Adjective

superior m or n (feminine singular superioar?, masculine plural superiori, feminine and neuter plural superioare)

1. superior

Declension

Antonyms

• inferior

Related terms

• superioritate

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin superior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /supe??jo?/, [su.pe??jo?]

Adjective

superior (plural superiores)

1. upper, higher
2. better
3. superior

Derived terms

Noun

superior m (plural superiores, feminine superiora, feminine plural superioras)

1. boss

   Synonyms: jefe, jefa, patrón, patrona

Related terms

• superioridad

Further reading

• “superior” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.