Why "supercede" needs to take a seat

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 28/11/2024, 14:29

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

It is a common spelling error.

Why do people make this mistake?

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 is correct?

"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.

Examples of correct usage

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In the update, the old protocol was superseded by the new one.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.