inferiority

IPA/ɪnˌfɪəriˈɒrəti/
KK[ˌɪnfɪriˈɔrɪtˌi]IPA/ɪnˌfɪriˈɔːrəti/

inferiority — noun

1. a condition in which a person, group, or thing is lower in quality, ability, sta

1.nounC1
Definition

a condition in which a person, group, or thing is lower in quality, ability, status, or strength than another

Example

At the private school, Minh developed a sense of inferiority about his old clothes.

sense of inferiority

The cheap batteries showed their inferiority after only one hour of use.

inferiority in quality

Common collocations
  • sense of inferiority
  • feelings of inferiority
  • inferiority complex
  • physical inferiority
  • inferiority in
Synonyms
  • disadvantage

    more often refers to a specific weak position in one situation

  • weakness

    focuses on a weak point rather than overall lower standing

  • self-doubt

    fits only the emotional use, not product or group comparisons

Antonyms
  • superiority

    the condition of being better or stronger than others

Grammar Patterns

sense of inferiority

feelings of inferiority

inferiority in [area]

inferiority to [someone/something]

Usage Note

Often appears in phrases like a sense of inferiority or feelings of inferiority when someone doubts their own worth. In comparisons between sides, products, or groups, it can also describe being weaker or less effective than the other side.

Common Mistakes

The product has inferiority quality.
The product is of inferior quality.
inferiority is a noun, not an adjective used before another noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Inferiority is broader than disadvantage. A disadvantage is usually one specific condition that makes success harder, such as being shorter, slower, or poorer. Inferiority can describe that kind of weak position, but it can also describe a deeper judgment that someone or something is simply not as good as another. Weakness usually points to one weak feature, while inferiority suggests a lower overall standing in comparison. Self-doubt and inadequacy stay closer to personal feelings: they describe how people judge themselves, not how products or teams compare. You can feel inferiority in a classroom, but a team shows inferiority on the field.

disadvantage ↗weakness ↗self-doubtinadequacy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • sense of inferiority
  • feelings of inferiority
  • inferiority complex

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Inferiority is built from inferior plus the noun ending -ity. Inferior came into English through French from Latin inferior, a word meaning lower or below. English has long used inferiority for the condition of being lower in rank, value, ability, or strength, and later for personal feelings of being not as good as other people.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3