Supersede

Supersede

Verb · /ˌsuːpəˈsiːd/ · to replace something previously in force, use, or authority and render it void

Definition

Supersede means to take the place of something that was previously accepted, used, or in force — rendering it obsolete, void, or no longer applicable. When a new law supersedes an older one, the older law ceases to apply. When new technology supersedes an older method, the older method is retired. The word is more precise than replace: it implies the old thing was once valid and legitimate, and is now definitively set aside by something of higher authority. This authority and finality are what make supersede the preferred word in legal documents, technical specifications, and official communications.

Origin

From Latin supersedere — to sit above — from super (above) and sedere (to sit). The image is vivid: the new thing literally sits above the old, occupying its seat, claiming its authority. The word entered English in the fifteenth century through Old French superseder. Note the spelling: supersede ends in -sede, from sedere. Unlike precede and proceed, which come from Latin cedere (to go), supersede stands alone. The misspelling superseed is extremely common but always wrong.