superficial
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowing from Late Latin superficiālis (“of or belonging to the surface”), from superficiēs (“top, surface”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌsuː.pəˈfɪʃ.əl/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌsu.pɚˈfɪʃ.əl/
Audio (US) (file)
- Rhymes: -ɪʃəl
Adjective[edit]
superficial (comparative more superficial, superlative most superficial)
- (relational) Existing, occurring, or located on the surface.
- Synonym: surficial
- Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.
- Synonym: external
- Not thorough, deep, or complete; concerned only with the obvious or apparent.
- 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page vii:
- Secondly, I continue to base my concepts on intensive study of a limited suite of collections, rather than superficial study of every packet that comes to hand.
- Lacking depth of character or understanding; lacking substance or significance.
- Synonym: shallow
- Antonym: substantive
- 2014, "Little Green Men": A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014[1], Fort Bragg, North Carolina: The United States Army Special Operations Command, page 43:
- These infamous little green men appeared during the decisive seizures or buildings and facilities, only to disappear when associated militias and local troops arrived to consolidate the gains. In this way they provided a measure of deniability—however superficial or implausible—for Moscow.40
- (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.
- (Britain, architecture) Denoting a quantity of a material expressed in terms of area covered rather than linear dimension or volume.
- Synonym: square
- one superficial foot
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
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Noun[edit]
superficial (plural superficials)
- (usually in the plural) A surface detail.
- He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.
Related terms[edit]
- superfice (archaic)
References[edit]
- “superficial”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
- “superficial”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin superficiālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /su.pəɾ.fi.siˈal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /su.pər.fi.siˈal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /su.peɾ.fi.siˈal/
Adjective[edit]
superficial (masculine and feminine plural superficials)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “superficial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “superficial”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2022
- “superficial” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “superficial” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Galician[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin superficiālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
superficial m or f (plural superficiais)
- superficial
- surficial; of the surface
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “superficial” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
Interlingua[edit]
Adjective[edit]
superficial (not comparable)
- superficial (pertaining to the surface)
Related terms[edit]
Portuguese[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin superficiālis. Equivalent to superfície + -al.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
superficial m or f (plural superficiais, comparable)
- superficial (comprising a surface)
- camada superficial ― surface layer
- superficial; shallow (not reaching or penetrating deep)
- ferida superficial ― superficial wound
- shallow (overly concerned with superficial matters)
- pessoa superficial ― shallow person
- superficial (lacking thoroughness or attention to minor details)
- análise superficial ― superficial analysis
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “superficial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French superficiel
Adjective[edit]
superficial m or n (feminine singular superficială, masculine plural superficiali, feminine and neuter plural superficiale)
- shallow (about people)
Declension[edit]
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | superficial | superficială | superficiali | superficiale | ||
definite | superficialul | superficiala | superficialii | superficialele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | superficial | superficiale | superficiali | superficiale | ||
definite | superficialului | superficialei | superficialilor | superficialelor |
Related terms[edit]
Spanish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin superficiālis.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): (Spain) /supeɾfiˈθjal/, [su.peɾ.fiˈθjal]
- IPA(key): (Latin America) /supeɾfiˈsjal/, [su.peɾ.fiˈsjal]
Adjective[edit]
superficial (plural superficiales)
- superficial
- shallow, lacking substance
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “superficial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
- English terms borrowed from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- Rhymes:English/ɪʃəl
- Rhymes:English/ɪʃəl/4 syllables
- English lemmas
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- en:Anatomy
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- en:Architecture
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- en:Personality
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- English words prefixed with super-
- English words suffixed with -al
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan 5-syllable words
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- Catalan lemmas
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- Galician terms derived from Latin
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- Portuguese terms borrowed from Latin
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- Portuguese 5-syllable words
- Rhymes:Portuguese/al
- Rhymes:Portuguese/al/5 syllables
- Rhymes:Portuguese/aw
- Rhymes:Portuguese/aw/5 syllables
- Portuguese lemmas
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