Homo superior

See also: Homo Superior

English

Alternative forms

• Homo Superior
• Homo superioris

Etymology

From Latin homo superior (literally “superior human”), modeled after New Latin Homo sapiens (literally “wise human”). Coined by Olaf Stapledon in his 1935 novel Odd John: A Story Between Jest and Earnest.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌhəʊməʊ suːˈpɪəɹi.ə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌhoʊmoʊ suːˈpɪɹiɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪəɹiə(ɹ)

Proper noun

Homo superior

1. (science fiction) The evolutionary step beyond Homo sapiens.
   • 1935, Olaf Stapledon, Odd John:

     Homo Superior faced the little mob of Homo Sapiens, and it was immediately evident that Homo Superior was indeed the better man.

   • 1963 September 10, Stan Lee, “X-Men”, in The X-Men, volume 1, number 1, page 11:

     Magneto: "The first phase of my plan shall be to show my power... to make Homo sapiens bow to Homo superior!"

   • 1971, “Oh! You Pretty Things”, in Hunky Dory, performed by David Bowie:

     You gotta make way¶ for the Homo Superior

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Homo superior.

Synonyms

• Homo novus

Hypernyms

• (species): Primates - order; Haplorhini - suborder; Simiiformes - infraorder; Catarrhini - parvorder; Hominoidea - superfamily; Hominidae - family; Homininae - subfamily; Hominini - tribe; Hominina - subtribe; Homo - genus

Related terms

• Homo economicus
• Homo idioticus
• Homo reciprocans

See also

• slan, mutant, superman, overman, übermensch

References

• Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2024), “homo superior n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.