Meaning & use
Superordinate
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Belonging to a higher rank, class, or category within a hierarchy or system of classification.
See it in a sentence
In the company's org chart, the regional director holds a superordinate position over the branch managers.
"Animal" is a superordinate term that includes "dog," "cat," and "bird" as subordinate categories.
A note on using this word
In linguistics, a superordinate is specifically a word whose meaning encompasses a group of more specific "hyponym" words, such as "furniture" covering "chair" and "table."
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
A word or category that includes other, more specific terms within its meaning.
"Vehicle" functions as a superordinate for "car," "truck," and "motorcycle."
Make it your own
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