3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, a. [L., compar. of inferus that is
below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf. F.
inf['e]rieur. See {Under}.]
1. Lower in place, rank, excellence, etc.; less important or
valuable; subordinate; underneath; beneath.
A thousand inferior and particular propositions.
--I. Watts.
The body, or, as some love to call it, our inferior
nature. --Burke.
Whether they are equal or inferior to my other
poems, an author is the most improper judge.
--Dryden.
2. Poor or mediocre; as, an inferior quality of goods.
3. (Astron.)
(a) Nearer the sun than the earth is; as, the inferior or
interior planets; an inferior conjunction of Mercury
or Venus.
(b) Below the horizon; as, the inferior part of a
meridian.
4. (Bot.)
(a) Situated below some other organ; -- said of a calyx
when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or
of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior
calyx.
(b) On the side of a flower which is next the bract;
anterior.
5. (Min.) Junior or subordinate in rank; as, an inferior
officer.
{Inferior court} (Law), a court subject to the jurisdiction
of another court known as the superior, or higher, court.
{Inferior letter}, {Inferior figure} (Print.), a small letter
or figure standing at the bottom of the line (opposed to
{superior letter} or figure), as in A_{2}, B_{n}, 2 and n
are inferior characters.
{Inferior tide}, the tide corresponding to the moon's transit
of the meridian, when below the horizon.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, n.
A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than
another.
A great person gets more by obliging his inferior than
by disdaining him. --South.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
inferior
adj 1: of or characteristic of low rank or importance [ant: {superior}]
2: of low or inferior quality [ant: {superior}]
3: inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a lowly
corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate
functionary" [syn: {junior-grade}, {lower}, {lower-ranking},
{lowly}, {petty(a)}, {secondary}, {subaltern}, {subordinate}]
4: written or printed below and to one side of another
character [syn: {subscript}] [ant: {adscript}, {superscript}]
5: having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit;
"Mercury and Venus are inferior planets" [ant: {superior}]
6: lower than a given reference point; "inferior alveolar
artery"
7: falling short of some prescribed norm; "substandard housing"
[syn: {deficient}, {substandard}]
n 1: one of lesser rank or station or quality [ant: {superior}]
2: a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or
slightly below and to the side of another character [syn:
{subscript}] [ant: {superscript}]