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Superficial vs Outward - What's the difference?

superficial | outward | Related terms |

Superficial is a related term of outward.


As adjectives the difference between superficial and outward

is that superficial is shallow, lacking substance while outward is outer; located towards the outside.

As a noun superficial

is (chiefly in plural) a surface detail.

As an adverb outward is

towards the outside; away from the centre.

As a verb outward is

(obsolete|rare) to ward off; to keep out.

superficial

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Shallow, lacking substance.
  • At face value.
  • *
  • 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.
  • Of or pertaining to the surface.
  • Being near the surface.
  • (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.
  • Synonyms

    * (of or pertaining to the surface) surficial

    Antonyms

    * in-depth * thorough * (lacking substance) substantive

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly in plural) A surface detail.
  • He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.

    outward

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • outer; located towards the outside
  • visible, noticeable
  • By all outward indications, he's a normal happy child, but if you talk to him, you will soon realize he has some psychological problems.
  • Tending to the exterior or outside.
  • * Dryden
  • The fire will force its outward way.
  • (obsolete) Foreign; not civil or intestine.
  • an outward war
    (Hayward)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Towards the outside; away from the centre.
  • :We are outward bound.
  • *Shakespeare
  • *:The wrong side may be turned outward .
  • (obsolete) Outwardly, in outer appearances; publicly.
  • *:
  • *:ANd thenne the quene lete make a preuy dyner in london vnto the kny?tes of the round table / and al was for to shewe outward that she had as grete Ioye in al other knyghtes of the table round as she had in sir launcelot / al only at that dyner she had sir Gawayne and his bretheren
  • Synonyms
    * outwards
    Derived terms
    * outwardness

    Etymology 2

    From .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete, rare) To ward off; to keep out.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.1:
  • Ne any armour could his dint out-ward ; / But wheresoever it did light, it throughly shard.

    Anagrams

    * *