“Supercede” or “supersede”: which is correct?
The short answer
Supersede is the correct spelling. It means to replace something older or obsolete, or to take the place of something else in power, authority, or importance.
Why people get it wrong
People often make this mistake because they associate the word with other verbs ending in -cede, such as precede, recede, and concede. This leads to the assumption that supersede follows the same spelling pattern. However, supersede is derived from the Latin word supersedēre, where sedēre means to sit, not to go as in cedere. Therefore, the correct spelling uses sede rather than cede.
What kind of mistake it is
It is a common spelling error.
Examples with supersede
- The new law will supersede the previous legislation.
- In the update, the old protocol was superseded by the new one.
- His design supersedes all previous ones in terms of efficiency.
Quick check
The new law will the previous legislation.
Supersede is the correct spelling. It means to replace something older or obsolete, or to take the place of something else in power, authority, or importance.
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