In this post, you’ll learn the definition of the word ‘supersede’.
Supersede /ˌsuː.pɚˈsiːd/ is a verb that means to replace something.
Often it’s laws, ideas or knowledge that are outdated and not relevant anymore.
Here are some example sentences:
- Governor Whitmer announced updates to COVID-19 emergency rules, which will supersede the prior version.
- Unified theory would be a generalisation of the other theories but would not supersede them.
- At some point, the knowledge that we create supersedes past knowledge.
The synonyms of supersede are:
– replace
– supplant
– take the place of
– displace
– come after
In some cases ‘supersede’ is used in the meaning of ‘exceeding someone’s expectations.’
Here are some examples with this meaning of superseded:
- ‘I had to supersede in every possible way what was expected of the average normal kid.’
- ‘We were the seeds that nobody expected to be trees, but we tend to supersede expectations, defy statistics.’
- You don’t want to use ‘supersede’ in your day to day speech but you can definitely encounter it in media, official documents or IELTS/TOFEL exams.
Common mistake: supercede or supersede
Supercede is the wrong spelling of supersede. The right word ends with -sede, not with – cede.
Want to remember this word?
Go to Youglish or google news and type ‘supersede’, find 1-2 relevant examples that will help you to remember this word. Share your examples in the comments.
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Additional resources for ‘supersede’:
Supersede in Cambridge dictionary
Supercede vs. Supersede – What’s the Difference?
