Definition of surpass

The origin of the word "surpass" can be traced back to the late 14th century in Middle English, where it was spelled "surpassen" and meant "to go beyond," "to surmount," or "to exceed." The word is derived from two Old French words, "sur" meaning "over" or "above," and "passer" meaning "to pass" or "to go." In medieval French, "passer" was used in various senses, including "to surpass" and "to go beyond" in the context of competition or achievement. This meaning of "passer" was influenced by the Latin word "transcendere," meaning "to go beyond" or "to climb over." In the late 14th century, the Old French word "passer" was imported into Middle English, where it was fused with the preposition "sur" to create the word "surpassen." The verb "surpass" began to appear in English literature in the late 1400s, first in ecclesiastical contexts, and then later in more secular writing. Over time, the word "surpass" has come to have several related meanings. In addition to meaning "to go beyond" or "to excel," it can also be used as an adjective, meaning "exceeding" or "superior," or as a noun, meaning "exceptional achievement" or "achievement that surpasses expectations." Today, the word "surpass" continues to be a common part of our everyday English vocabulary, describing a wide range of situations where one thing is judged to be better than another.