![\"surprised](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/supersede-or-superced-why-do-you-keep-misspelling-this-word.jpg?resize=770%2C496&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Here\u2019s The Seed of an Idea to Stop This Mistake<\/h2>\n
Did you ever handle a case involving a supersedeas bond? Quick reminder: when a losing civil defendant wants to block enforcement of the judgment during an appeal, the defendant can lodge a bond with the court to guarantee payment if the appeal is unsuccessful. While the bond is in place the plaintiff cannot execute on the judgment, but is guaranteed payment should the plaintiff prevail.<\/p>\n
Supersedeas translates from Latin to \u201cYou shall desist.\u201d The word derives from the verb supersedere. The more commonly used \u201csupersede\u201d is also a descendant of supersedere. \u201cSupersede\u201d was first recorded in English usage in 1640 to mean \u201cdisplace\u201d or \u201creplace.\u201d A version appeared in Scots Middle English about 100 years earlier.<\/p>\n
Supersede \u2014 The Outlier Verb<\/h2>\n
Plenty of English verbs end with ceed, such as exceed, proceed, and succeed. Also common are words ending with cede, such as accede, concede, intercede, precede, recede, and secede.<\/p>\n
Most authorities and dictionaries show \u201csupersede\u201d as the only English word ending in sede. Merriam-Webster lists obsede as an English transitive verb<\/a>, meaning to obsess. (My spell checker thinks \u201cobsede\u201d doesn\u2019t exist.)<\/p>\n Supersede is a concise word lawyers love to use. When something happens that (allegedly?) overrides the prior state of affairs, we say the new development supersedes the prior status quo. Supersede just seems more specific than the synonyms the thesaurus lists<\/a> like supplant or replace.<\/p>\n Yet, many writers misspell the word. \u201cSupersede\u201d is such an unusual word that apparently users just don\u2019t believe that spelling could be correct.<\/p>\n Instead, they write \u201csupercede.\u201d Spellcheckers will catch that error, so presumably, as users hastily ran their review protocol, they told their software to ignore the correction. As we all know, once that word is user-approved, the typist is free to keep using it with no reminder that it is not right. That\u2019s why \u201csupercede\u201d keeps appearing in legal writing, and why it makes the writing look sloppy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just because you approved an incorrect spelling in the past doesn\u2019t mean you are stuck with it. Double-check that you didn\u2019t enable an incorrect spelling by deleting it. <\/p>\n When you review your personal dictionary, take the time to check for any other unintentional inclusions.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t find \u201csupercede\u201d in your approved list, good for you. Remember not to approve the misspelling on a one-time basis going forward. That way, your unassailable communication will supersede any errors your fingers would otherwise commit.<\/p>\nWhy You\u2019re Getting Supersede It Wrong<\/h2>\n
Fix Your Dictionaries<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
![\"Order](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Get-to-the-Point-Order-of-Adjectives.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n