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Added 9 October 2026

supersede

/ˌsuːpəˈsiːd/ verb

Latin root: supersedēre Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about supersede at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Take the place or move into the position of.
Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left

Origin

From Middle French superseder (“postpone, defer”), from Latin supersedēre, from super (“over”) + sedēre (“to sit”). The meaning “to replace” is from 1642, probably by association with unrelated precede – note that c instead of s (from cēdere (“to yield”), not sedēre (“to sit”)). As a result, supercede is a common misspelling – see therein for further discussion. Doublet of surcease.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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