superficially C1 Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈsuːpɝˌfɪʃəli/ See IPA manual Freq #50183 Meanings 1 adv In a shallow way, without going into depth. He only superficially understood the topic, so he struggled with the exam. 2 adv At first glance; on the surface. The two species are superficially similar but differ in important ways. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · in a shallow way, without... shallowly 2 adv · at first glance; on the... apparentlyseeminglyostensibly Etymology AI details From superficial + -ly. Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # superficially **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /ˈsuːpɝˌfɪʃəli/ **Frequency rank:** 50183 ## Meanings 1. In a shallow way, without going into depth. 2. At first glance; on the surface. ## Examples - He only superficially understood the topic, so he struggled with the exam. - The two species are superficially similar but differ in important ways. ## Etymology From superficial + -ly. ## AI Etymology Superficially is from superficial + -ly. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adverbial form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean in a shallow way, without going into depth, or at first glance; on the surface. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown