be superior to

USAGE SUMMARY

"be superior to" is correct and usable in written English and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
For example, "He was determined to be superior to everyone else in the competition."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Struggle to fashion each day to be superior to yesterday.

The New York Times

Female qualities seem to be superior to male ones.

The New Yorker

As a tactician, Mahmud proved to be superior to Selim.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In that way we always seemed to be superior to our former western leaders.

The Guardian

Or when political exhortation is held to be superior to law-making.

The Guardian - Opinion

He thought that it was excellent to be superior to others.

The New Yorker

It claimed to be superior to governments, and to legitimise them.

The Guardian

Surgical procedures have proved to be superior to conservative and pharmacotherapeutic interventions in the morbidly obese.

Yale University

Furthermore, phase-mapping appears to be superior to electrogram-based driver mapping in PerAF ablation.

Stanford University

This article investigates whether private provision of law may be superior to public provision.

University of California, Berkeley

Why? Blaser: When making predictions with data, algorithms tend to be superior to humans.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "be superior to", ensure that the comparison is clear and the basis for superiority is well-defined to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "be superior to" without providing supporting evidence or justification. Unsubstantiated claims of superiority can weaken your argument and damage your credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be superior to" functions as a comparative adjective phrase, indicating that one entity possesses more favorable qualities or characteristics than another. Ludwig AI shows the phrase is commonly used to make comparisons across various domains.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "be superior to" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to express that one thing is better than another. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and frequent use. While versatile, it's essential to use this phrase judiciously, ensuring clarity and providing supporting evidence for claims of superiority. Alternative phrases like "outclass" or "surpass" can be used depending on the desired nuance and context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

better

Implies improving upon or surpassing the quality of something.

surpass

Indicates exceeding a limit or expectation.

exceed

Means surpassing a particular standard or level.

outdo

Suggests doing something better than someone else.

outclass

Implies being significantly better in terms of skill or quality.

trump

Implies overcoming or defeating something, often in a competitive sense.

excel

Focuses on demonstrating exceptional skill or performance.

top

Suggests reaching a higher level or position than something else.

outstrip

Suggests becoming larger or more important than something else.

beat

A more informal term for defeating or outperforming.

FAQs

How can I use "be superior to" in a sentence?

You can use "be superior to" to compare two things, indicating that one is better than the other in some way. For example, "This new model is superior to the previous version in terms of battery life."

What are some alternatives to "be superior to"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "outclass", "surpass", or "exceed".

Is it always appropriate to use "be superior to"?

While grammatically correct, using "be superior to" can sometimes sound arrogant or boastful. Consider your audience and the context before using it, and be sure to provide evidence to support your claim.

What's the difference between "be superior to" and "better than"?

"Be superior to" is more formal and emphatic than "better than". While both indicate that one thing is of higher quality, "be superior to" often implies a more significant difference.