Standard Lemma guide

superclass

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A high-level class that passes attributes and methods down the hierarchy to subclasses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: object-oriented programming

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: base class, parent class

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A taxon ranking below a phylum and above a class.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, taxonomy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To create a superclass of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: object-oriented programming

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(biology) a taxonomic class below a phylum and above a class

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: taxonomic group, taxonomic category, taxon

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super-lbor. English super- English class English superclass From super- + class.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 父類別 /父类别 (fùlèibié) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Czech: nadtřída — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Dutch: superklasse — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Finnish: yläluokka — class that passes attributes and methods
  • French: classe mère — class that passes attributes and methods
  • German: Überklasse — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Greek: υπερκλάση (yperklási) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Japanese: スーパークラス (sūpākurasu) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Russian: надкла́сс (nadkláss) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Russian: суперкла́сс (superkláss) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Russian: роди́тельский класс (rodítelʹskij klass) — class that passes attributes and methods
  • Turkish: üstsınıf — class that passes attributes and methods