What does "superficial" mean?

1. (on the surface) located on or near the surface of something, like a skin wound that is not deep. 2. (lacking depth) not thorough or deep; only looking at the most obvious parts of a problem or person. 3. (appearing true at first) seeming to be real or true only until you look at it more closely. 4. (measured by area) describing a measurement of how much area something covers rather than its weight or length.

How do you use "superficial"?

Commonly used in construction and surveying to describe 'superficial feet' or 'superficial area'.

superficial

adj.

US //ˌsupɝˈfɪʃəɫ// UK //sˈuːpəfˈɪʃəl// su·per·fi·cial

1 on the surface (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

located on or near the surface of something, like a skin wound that is not deep.

pertaining to or situated on the surface; in medical contexts, it describes injuries or structures that do not penetrate deeply into the body.

Example

The doctor said it was just a superficial scratch and wouldn't need stitches.

Example

The forensic report indicated that the victim sustained several superficial lacerations, none of which had damaged the underlying muscle tissue.
- deep
- internal
2 lacking depth (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

not thorough or deep; only looking at the most obvious parts of a problem or person.

lacking depth of character, intellect, or serious thought; often used to describe analysis that ignores underlying complexities.

Example

He has a very superficial understanding of the city's history.

Example

Critics argued that the documentary offered only a superficial treatment of a highly complex geopolitical crisis.
- shallow
- empty
- facile

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3 appearing true at first (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

seeming to be real or true only until you look at it more closely.

apparent rather than real; describing a quality that is evident on the surface but does not reflect the true nature of the subject.

Example

There is a superficial similarity between the two paintings, but the techniques are different.

Example

Despite a superficial resemblance to his predecessor's policies, the new minister's approach was actually rooted in a different economic philosophy.
- apparent
- seeming
- ostensible
- genuine
- fundamental
4 measured by area (adj.)
C2 Proficiency British English Technical Technical

describing a measurement of how much area something covers rather than its weight or length.

denoting a quantity of material expressed in terms of surface area rather than volume or linear dimension.

Example

The builder calculated the superficial area of the walls to decide how much paint to buy.

Example

The contract specified the cost of the timber in superficial feet, requiring a precise calculation of the total surface coverage for the flooring project.

Usage

Commonly used in construction and surveying to describe 'superficial feet' or 'superficial area'.
- areal
- square

Origin

Borrowing from Late Latin superficiālis (“of or belonging to the surface”), from superficiēs (“top, surface”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

Word family

Adjectivesuperficial
Adverbsuperficially