ENGLISH
REFERENCE

supreme

adj. · v. · n.
US //səˈpɹim// UK //suːpɹˈiːm// supreme
  1. 1 greatest or ultimate (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    the greatest or most extreme version of a quality.

    representing the ultimate or highest degree of a quality or state.

    Example

    The athlete showed supreme confidence as she walked onto the track.

    Example

    To complete the solo ascent of the north face required a moment of supreme courage and technical precision.
  2. 2 to segment fruit (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Cooking

    to cut a citrus fruit into pieces while removing all the skin and seeds.

    to remove the skin, pith, membranes, and seeds from citrus segments. Transitive; requires a direct object.

    Example

    The chef showed the students how to supreme an orange for the salad.

    Example

    The recipe requires you to supreme three grapefruits, ensuring that no bitter white pith remains on the delicate segments.
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
  1. 3 a cut of meat or fruit (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Cooking

    a piece of chicken, fish, or fruit that has had all the skin and bones removed.

    a prime cut of poultry or fish with skin and bones removed, or a citrus segment prepared similarly.

    Example

    The restaurant serves a chicken supreme with a creamy mushroom sauce.

    Example

    The banquet menu featured a pan-seared salmon supreme served on a bed of seasonal greens and drizzled with a lemon reduction.
Origin

From Middle English suppreme, partly from Middle French suppreme, supreme and partly from its etymon, Latin suprēmus, superlative of superus (“that is above”). In the cooking sense, partly an independent borrowing of French suprême, partly merged with the existing English word. Doublet of supremo.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference