superficial

English

Etymology

From Latin superficiālis.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌs(j)uːpəˈfɪʃəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃəl
• Hyphenation: su‧per‧fi‧cial

Adjective

superficial (comparative more superficial, superlative most superficial)

1. Of or pertaining to the surface.
2. Being near the surface.
3. Shallow, lacking substance.
   • 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

4. At face value.
   • 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.

5. (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.

Synonyms

• (of or pertaining to the surface): surficial

Antonyms

• in-depth
• thorough
• (lacking substance): substantive

Derived terms

• superficially
• superficiality

Translations

of or pertaining to the surface

• Catalan: superficial (ca)
• Georgian: ზედაპირული (zedaṗiruli)
• Hungarian: felszíni, felületi (hu)
• Italian: superficiale (it)
• Latin: superficiālis

• Portuguese: superficial (pt)
• Russian: пове́рхностный (ru) (povérxnostnyj)
• Spanish: superficial (es)
• Turkish: yüzeysel (tr)

being near the surface

• Maori: ākahu, kirimoko
• Portuguese: superficial (pt)

• Russian: пове́рхностный (ru) (povérxnostnyj)

shallow, lacking substance

• Arabic: سَطْحِيّ‎ (saṭḥiyy)
• Bengali: উদাসীন (udasīn)
• Catalan: superficial (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 膚淺 (zh), 肤浅 (zh) (fūqiǎn)

• Czech: povrchní (cs)
• Danish: overfladisk
• Dutch: oppervlakkig (nl)
• Esperanto: supraĵa, malprofunda
• Estonian: pinnapealne
• Finnish: pinnallinen (fi)
• French: superficiel (fr)
• Georgian: ზედაპირული (zedaṗiruli)
• German: oberflächlich (de)

• Greek: ρηχός (el) (richós), αβαθής (el) (avathís)

  Ancient: ἐπιπόλαιος (epipólaios)

• Hindi: सतही (sathī)
• Hungarian: felszínes (hu), felületes (hu)
• Icelandic: yfirborðskenndur
• Italian: superficiale (it)
• Maori: mōhio ngutu (of understanding)
• Polish: powierzchowny (pl)
• Portuguese: superficial (pt)
• Romanian: superficial (ro)
• Russian: неглубо́кий (ru) (neglubókij), пове́рхностный (ru) (povérxnostnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: faoin
• Spanish: superficial (es)
• Swedish: ytlig (sv)
• Turkish: yüzeysel (tr), üstünkörü (tr)

at face value

Noun

superficial (plural superficials)

1. (chiefly in plural) A surface detail.

   He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.

Related terms

• superfice (archaic)

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin superficiālis.

Adjective

superficial (masculine and feminine plural superficials)

1. superficial

Derived terms

• superficialitat
• superficialment

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “superficial” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “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.

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Galician

Etymology

From Latin superficiālis.

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais)

1. superficial
2. surficial; of the surface

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

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Interlingua

Adjective

superficial (not comparable)

1. superficial (pertaining to the surface)

Related terms

• superficie

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin superficiālis.

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais, comparable)

1. Shallow, lacking substance.

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialismo
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin superficiālis.

Adjective

superficial (plural superficiales)

1. superficial
2. shallow, lacking substance

Derived terms

• superficialidad
• superficialmente
• tensión superficial

 

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.