superiority complex

[ suh-peer-ee-awr-i-tee kom-pleks, -or-, soo- ]

noun

, Psychology.

1. an exaggerated feeling of superiority to others, characterized by arrogant or overbearing behavior. Compare God complex ( def ), inferiority complex ( def ).

superiority complex

noun

1. informal.
   an inflated estimate of one's own merit, usually manifested in arrogance

Word History and Origins

Origin of superiority complex¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Mr. Metcalfe, who had originally cast Mr. Linville, said he wanted an actor who could play a much more formidable surgeon with a superiority complex.

From New York Times

This can veer into an intellectual superiority complex.

From Scientific American

The dire conditions of orangutans and other great apes in the wild are a testament to a failure of human stewardship of our planet, much to the contrary of the human superiority complex.

From Salon

“And what about the superiority complex that it creates in non-people of color?”

From New York Times

Where does Western women's superiority complex toward women of color around the world come from?

From Salon