What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Inferior vs Ulterior - What's the difference?

inferior | ulterior |

As adjectives the difference between inferior and ulterior

is that inferior is of lower quality while ulterior is situated beyond, or on the farther side.

As a noun inferior

is a person of lower stature to another.

inferior

English

Alternative forms

* inferiour (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • of lower quality
    • Anna had always felt inferior to her brother due to poor school grades.
  • * Dryden
    • Whether they are equal or inferior to my other poems, an author is the most improper judge.
  • of lower rank
    • an inferior officer
  • located below
  • # (typography) Printed in subscript.
  • an inferior figure or letter
  • (botany) Situated below some other organ; said of a calyx when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior calyx.
  • (botany) On the side of a flower which is next to the bract; anterior.
  • (astronomy) Nearer to the Sun than the Earth is.
    • the inferior''' or interior planets; an '''inferior conjunction of Mercury or Venus
  • (astronomy) Below the horizon.
    • the inferior part of a meridian

    Usage notes

    (term) and (superior) are generally followed by (to); (than) is seen sometimes, but is viewed as wrong.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * superior

    Coordinate terms

    *

    Related terms

    * inferiority

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a person of lower stature to another
    • As you are my inferior , I can tell you to do anything I want.

    Antonyms

    * superior

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    ulterior

    English

    Alternative forms

    * ulteriour (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Situated beyond, or on the farther side.
  • Beyond what is obvious or evident.
  • Being intentionally concealed so as to deceive.
  • * 1956–1960 , (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 32:
    • Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one.
  • (label) Happening later; subsequent.
  • :an ulterior action
  • * 1840 , in The Chemist , volume 1, page 141:
    • A rather deep red coloration, which appears by the action of the first bubbles of chlorine, but which soon disappears by the ulterior action of this gas

    Usage notes

    Ulterior is primarily used today to mean impure, covert, external motives, and generally not opposed to etymological antonyms. In the comparative sense “beyond, farther”, the Latin antonym is , which is not used in English (compare (m)/(m) for “nearest/farthest (cause etc.)”). In the sense “after, subsequent”, it can be opposed to (m), but the sense “after” is now archaic (compare (m)/(m) for “first/last”).

    Derived terms

    * ulterior motive

    Antonyms

    *

    Related terms

    * ultimate * ultra * ultra-

    External links

    * * * ----