Superiorities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The traits or features that denote a higher status or better quality in comparison to others are known as advantages
2. Characteristics that lead to a greater or more favorable rank or merit when compared to counterparts describe notable strengths
3. Conditions or qualities that demonstrate a higher level of excellence or status than others

Etymology: "Superiorities" is simply the plural of "superiority," which passed into English from Old French "superiorite," itself drawn from Medieval Latin "superioritas," built on the Latin comparative "superior" (higher, upper). The Latin root "super" meant "above," and "superior" was the comparative form, so the word has always carried the sense of being placed or measured above something else. The noun was formed by attaching the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun of quality, to "superior." The result names the state of being superior, and the plural form picks out the individual respects or traits in which one thing outranks another, which is how the word is used here.

Synonyms: advantages, superiority

Antonyms: inferiorities