Literary notes about superior (AI summary)
In literature, “superior” is a multifaceted term used to draw distinctions in quality, ability, and status. It can denote excellence in artistic merit or craftsmanship, as when works or publications are described as superior to their contemporaries [1, 2]. The term is also employed to highlight physical prowess or strategic advantage, as seen in the assessment of military strength and navigational skill [3, 4, 5]. In moral, intellectual, or aesthetic contexts, “superior” often underscores ethical ideals or refined taste, elevating characters and philosophical principles to a higher plane [6, 7, 8, 9]. Moreover, it serves as a marker for social hierarchy and personal accomplishment, where comparative judgments on character or capability reflect wider notions of dignity and import [10, 11, 12]. Across various narratives, “superior” enriches the text by providing a critical measure of worth and excellence in both tangible and abstract realms.
- Personally, I regard it as superior to "The Deserter."
— from The Best Short Stories of 1917, and the Yearbook of the American Short Story - I have bought one of his works myself—a very nice thing, a very superior publication, entitled 'Ivanhoe.'
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - D'Orvilliers observed this movement, and construed it to show an intention to attack his rear with a superior force.
— from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. Mahan - Towards evening two of Fitzhugh Lee’s regiments came up, and the Confederates were now concentrated in superior numbers.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - Verily, the Portuguese of those days were superior as navigators to their Spanish rivals and the Italians.
— from A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497-1499 - The Master said, 'The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential.
— from The Analects of Confucius (from the Chinese Classics) by Confucius - But the authority of religion is superior to every other authority.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - The Master said, 'The superior man has a dignified ease without pride.
— from The Analects of Confucius (from the Chinese Classics) by Confucius - Whether this opinion of me be deserved or not, at any rate the world has decided that Socrates is in some way superior to other men.
— from Apology by Plato - She has displayed very superior judgment and has seldom been led into acts of even seeming impropriety.
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - She called them "mercenary, worldly, unwomanly flirts," and felt herself much their superior.
— from Work: A Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott - What I most loved after you, Mercédès, was myself, my dignity, and that strength which rendered me superior to other men; that strength was my life.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet
