Revised 2012
superbadjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective superb mean?
There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective superb, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the adjective superb?
About 5occurrences per million words in modern written English
1750 | 2.9 |
1760 | 3.1 |
1770 | 3.9 |
1780 | 4.7 |
1790 | 5.7 |
1800 | 6.2 |
1810 | 6.2 |
1820 | 5.8 |
1830 | 5.2 |
1840 | 4.8 |
1850 | 4.7 |
1860 | 4.9 |
1870 | 5.0 |
1880 | 5.6 |
1890 | 6.2 |
1900 | 6.4 |
1910 | 6.2 |
1920 | 5.8 |
1930 | 5.7 |
1940 | 5.6 |
1950 | 5.6 |
1960 | 5.4 |
1970 | 5.3 |
1980 | 5.0 |
1990 | 4.7 |
2000 | 4.4 |
2010 | 4.2 |
How is the adjective superb pronounced?
British English
/suːˈpəːb/
soo-PURB
/sjuːˈpəːb/
syoo-PURB
U.S. English
/suˈpərb/
soo-PURB
/səˈpərb/
suh-PURB
Where does the adjective superb come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the adjective superb is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for superb is from around 1550, in Complaynt of Scotland.
superb is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French superbe; Latin superbus.
Nearby entries
- superate, v.1595–
- superation, n.1585–
- superatom, n.1922–
- super-attainable, adj.1901–
- superattendant, n.?1548–
- superaudible, adj.1917–
- super audio CD, n.1995–
- super audio compact disc | super audio compact disk, n.1997–
- super-auricular, adj.1845–
- superazotation, n.1800–02
- superb, adj.c1550–
- superbabe, n.1947–
- superbad, adj.1871–
- superbase, n.1962–
- superb bird of paradise, n.?a1808–
- superb blue wren, n.1908–
- superbeing, n.1908–
- super-benedict, adj.1683
- superb fairy wren, n.1984–
- superbiate, v.1628–1854
- superbibe, v.1691
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for superb, adj.
superb, adj. was revised in June 2012.
superb, adj. was last modified in December 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into superb, adj. in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1917)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Factsheet for superb, adj.
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Nearby entries
- superate, v.1595–
- superation, n.1585–
- superatom, n.1922–
- super-attainable, adj.1901–
- superattendant, n.?1548–
- superaudible, adj.1917–
- super audio CD, n.1995–
- super audio compact disc | super audio compact disk, n.1997–
- super-auricular, adj.1845–
- superazotation, n.1800–02
- superb, adj.c1550–
- superbabe, n.1947–
- superbad, adj.1871–
- superbase, n.1962–
- superb bird of paradise, n.?a1808–
- superb blue wren, n.1908–
- superbeing, n.1908–
- super-benedict, adj.1683
- superb fairy wren, n.1984–
- superbiate, v.1628–1854
- superbibe, v.1691