Superior To: Standard Pattern
Superior To: Standard Pattern keeps the page to the directly supported construction instead of treating an unverified “superior than” title as a balanced pair.
Cambridge documents “superior to” when comparing something as higher in quality, position, or performance.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Comparison | Pattern | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| one thing is higher in quality, position, or performance than another | superior to + comparator | Use the documented comparison construction. |
| ordinary comparative adjective such as better | better than + comparator | Do not copy “to” from superior onto unrelated comparatives. |
| no comparison is intended | use superior in the construction required by that sense | Do not force a comparator merely because the adjective can take one. |
Quick tests
Comparison-word test
Does “superior” explicitly compare the subject with another thing?
If yes: Use “superior to,” not “superior than,” for the reviewed comparison pattern.
If no: If there is no comparator, write the sentence required by the intended sense.
Caveat: The guide covers the documented comparison construction; it does not claim every use of “superior” must contain a “to” phrase.
Examples
The newer sensor is superior to the older model in low light.
“To” introduces the item used as the comparison point.
This material proved superior to the cheaper alternative.
The comparison after “superior” uses “to.”
Their response time was superior to that of the previous system.
The comparator follows the documented “superior to” pattern.
Further guidance
Construction
Cambridge examples directly use superior to for comparison.
Style Boundary
A nearby “than” elsewhere in a sentence does not by itself create a superior than complement pattern.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- superior — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary evidence for superior to as the documented comparison construction.