supérieur
/sy.pe.ʁjœʁ/
The English word "superior" translates to French as supérieur.
supérieur is used to describe something that is higher in rank or quality. When expressing that something is superior to something else, you should follow the adjective with the preposition à. To specifically emphasize that something is of superior quality, you can use the phrase de qualité supérieure.
Meaning: higher in rank or quality (adj)
Which one should you use?
In French, supérieur can function as both an adjective meaning higher in quality and as a noun referring to a person of higher rank.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: supérieure is the feminine form, supérieurs is the masculine plural form and supérieures is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /sy.pe.ʁjœʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French corporate culture, you might hear the term N+1 to refer to a supérieur. This shorthand describes the direct person one level above you in the organizational hierarchy.
- The term enseignement supérieur refers to all post-secondary education. Unlike in English, where 'higher education' often implies a university, in French it includes a wide array of specialized 'grandes écoles'.
- While in English 'superior' is often a synonym for 'better', in French, using supérieur à for people can sometimes sound uncomfortably condescending or even patronizing.
Examples in context
- Il est supérieur à elle en maths.He is superior to her in math.This sentence shows how to use supérieur to compare skill in math.Tatoeba #130559 by Micsmithel, translation #288278 by CM
- Je veux m'entretenir avec votre supérieur.I want to talk to your superior.This sentence uses supérieur as a noun meaning a person of higher rank.Tatoeba #2475359 by sacredceltic, translation #2014317 by CK
- C'est une femme d'une intelligence supérieure.She is a woman of superior intelligence.This sentence uses supérieur as an adjective to describe intelligence.Tatoeba #7751726 by Blabla, translation #10274299 by carlosalberto
- Ce chocolat est de qualité supérieure à celui-ci.This chocolate is of superior quality compared to this one.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing their new workplace.
- GabrielEst-ce que ton nouveau chef est supérieur à l'ancien ?Is your new boss superior to the old one?
- EmmaOui, il est bien plus compétent.Yes, he is much more competent.
- GabrielC'est un avantage pour l'équipe.That is an advantage for the team.
- EmmaAbsolument, l'ambiance est meilleure maintenant.Absolutely, the atmosphere is better now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “superior” translations and entries supérieur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
