supérieure

Supérieure is the feminine form of the French adjective and noun supérieur, meaning higher or upper. It agrees in gender with feminine nouns and appears in a variety of contexts, from everyday language to specific professional or institutional titles.

Etymology and forms

Supérieure derives from the Latin superior, evolving through Old and Middle French into modern French. As an adjective it pairs with feminine nouns (par exemple, une porte supérieure, une couche supérieure). As a noun it can refer to a person who holds a higher rank within a group or organization.

Uses and contexts

As an adjective, supérieure describes position, rank, or quality that is higher or more advanced, such as the higher level of a building, a superior product, or a higher-grade item (niveau supérieur, examen de niveau supérieur).

As a noun, it most often designates a person in charge within a religious or monastic community: the supérieure is the head of a convent or abbey, akin to a superior in English. The term is also used in secular institutions in a similar sense, for example to refer to a female boss or supervisor in certain contexts, though the usage is more common with combined titles (ma supérieure, la supérieure générale).

In education, the word appears in institutional names or descriptions, such as école supérieure or institut supérieur, indicating a higher education institution or a school offering advanced studies.

In mathematics, the feminine form appears in phrases like borne supérieure (upper bound); the term supérieure alone is not a standard mathematical term, but it participates in such compound terms to denote upper limits.

See also

Supérieur, éducation supérieure, borne supérieure.