superclass

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noun

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

Similar
base classparent classsuperset
Opposite
subclasssubset
OriginEnglish class ← Latin super- ← Proto-Italic *super →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounsuperclass (plural superclasses)

plural superclasses · alternative super class

  1. object-oriented programmingcomputingA high-level class that passes attributes and methods down the hierarchy to subclasses.

    Synonyms: base class, parent class

  2. biologyA taxon ranking below a phylum and above a class.
verbsuperclass (third-person singular simple present superclasses, present participle superclassing, simple past and past participle superclassed)

present singular third person superclasses · participle present superclassing · participle past superclassed · past superclassed · alternative super class

  1. transitiveobject-oriented programmingcomputingTo create a superclass of.

    Applications incorporating superclassing "clean up" by calling UnregisterClass on all superclassed classes.

    2001, Stephen Teilhet, Subclassing and Hooking With Visual Basic, page 223

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
base classparent class
Similar
superset
Opposite
subclasssubset
Broader
class
Also see
base classsupergroupsuperset

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsuper
  5. Latinsuper-
  6. Englishsuper-
  7. Englishclass
  8. Englishsuperclass

From super- + class.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 父類別 /父类别
  • 父類別 /父类别 (fùlèibié)class that passes attributes and methods
Czech nadtřída
  • nadtřídaclass that passes attributes and methods
Dutch superklasse
  • superklasseclass that passes attributes and methods
Finnish yläluokka
  • yläluokkaclass that passes attributes and methods
French classe mère
  • classe mèreclass that passes attributes and methods
German Überklasse
  • Überklasseclass that passes attributes and methods
Greek υπερκλάση
  • υπερκλάση (yperklási)class that passes attributes and methods
Japanese スーパークラス
  • スーパークラス (sūpākurasu)class that passes attributes and methods
Russian надкла́сс, суперкла́сс
  • надкла́сс (nadkláss)class that passes attributes and methods
  • суперкла́сс (superkláss)class that passes attributes and methods
  • роди́тельский класс (rodítelʹskij klass)class that passes attributes and methods
Turkish üstsınıf
  • üstsınıfclass that passes attributes and methods
Cite this entry
APA

superclass. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superclass

MLA

“superclass.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superclass. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “superclass,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superclass.

Source: superclass on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.