Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, a. [L., compar. of inferus that is
   below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf. F.
   inf['e]rieur. See {Under}.]
   1. Lower in place, rank, excellence, etc.; less important or
      valuable; subordinate; underneath; beneath.

            A thousand inferior and particular propositions.
                                                  --I. Watts.

            The body, or, as some love to call it, our inferior
            nature.                               --Burke.

            Whether they are equal or inferior to my other
            poems, an author is the most improper judge.
                                                  --Dryden.

   2. Poor or mediocre; as, an inferior quality of goods.

   3. (Astron.)
      (a) Nearer the sun than the earth is; as, the inferior or
          interior planets; an inferior conjunction of Mercury
          or Venus.
      (b) Below the horizon; as, the inferior part of a
          meridian.

   4. (Bot.)
      (a) Situated below some other organ; -- said of a calyx
          when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or
          of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior
          calyx.
      (b) On the side of a flower which is next the bract;
          anterior.

   5. (Min.) Junior or subordinate in rank; as, an inferior
      officer.

   {Inferior court} (Law), a court subject to the jurisdiction
      of another court known as the superior, or higher, court.
      

   {Inferior letter}, {Inferior figure} (Print.), a small letter
      or figure standing at the bottom of the line (opposed to
      {superior letter} or figure), as in A_{2}, B_{n}, 2 and n
      are inferior characters.

   {Inferior tide}, the tide corresponding to the moon's transit
      of the meridian, when below the horizon.

Inferior \In*fe"ri*or\, n.
   A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than
   another.

         A great person gets more by obliging his inferior than
         by disdaining him.                       --South.

Source : WordNet®

inferior
     adj 1: of or characteristic of low rank or importance [ant: {superior}]
     2: of low or inferior quality [ant: {superior}]
     3: inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a lowly
        corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate
        functionary" [syn: {junior-grade}, {lower}, {lower-ranking},
         {lowly}, {petty(a)}, {secondary}, {subaltern}, {subordinate}]
     4: written or printed below and to one side of another
        character [syn: {subscript}] [ant: {adscript}, {superscript}]
     5: having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit;
        "Mercury and Venus are inferior planets" [ant: {superior}]
     6: lower than a given reference point; "inferior alveolar
        artery"
     7: falling short of some prescribed norm; "substandard housing"
        [syn: {deficient}, {substandard}]

inferior
     n 1: one of lesser rank or station or quality [ant: {superior}]
     2: a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or
        slightly below and to the side of another character [syn:
        {subscript}] [ant: {superscript}]