inférieures

Inférieures is the feminine plural form of the French adjective inférieur, used to denote something situated toward a lower position, rank, or level relative to another element. It can function as an attributive adjective (agreeing with a feminine plural noun) or as a substantive when the relevant noun has been established in the discourse, meaning “the lower ones.”

The term appears across various domains. In anatomy and medicine, it describes lower structures or parts, such as les dents inférieures (lower teeth) or les arcades dentaires inférieures (lower dental arches). In botany, one may refer to feuilles inférieures (lower leaves). In geography, geology, or sociology, inférieures limits or classes are described as lower in position, level, or status, for example, zones inférieures or classes inférieures.

Usage notes: inférieures agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (feminine plural). It is common to pair inférieures with antonyms or contrasting terms such as supérieures to form a relative comparison (inférieures et supérieures). When used as a substantive, it often relies on an understood antecedent (les inférieures) referring to “the lower ones” previously mentioned.

Etymology and related forms: inférieure derives from Latin inferior, with inférieures as the feminine plural. Related terms include inférieur (masculine singular), inférieure (feminine singular), and supérieur (opposite of inférieur).