superposition
noun
su·per·po·si·tion
ˌsü-pər-pə-ˈzi-shən 
plural superpositions
: the placement of one thing above or on top of another
The principle used to determine whether one sedimentary rock is older than another is very simple, and is known as the law of superposition. Here is an example: A deposit of mud laid down this year in, say, the Gulf of Mexico will rest on top of a layer that was deposited last year.—
Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman
Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman
especially, physics
: the combination of two distinct physical phenomena of the same type (such as spin or wavelength) so that they coexist as part of the same event
Schrödinger perversely suggested that until the box was opened and the outcome of the experiment observed, the particle must remain suspended in a superposition of two states: simultaneously going through both holes. —George Johnson
George Johnson In a quantum computer, however, the "transistors" remain in a superposition of 0 and 1 … —Philip Yam
Philip Yam Examples of superposition in a Sentence
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In fact, the study of wave-like phenomena can be traced back to early experiments done in the 1600s with water waves by pioneers like Christiaan Huygens, who understood that all waves could be treated as superpositions of many circular waves, propagating outward, all together.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 8 Oct. 2025
This combination of quantization, superposition and entanglement is what gives quantum computers their power.
—Eli Levenson-Falk, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike classical bits, qubits can exist in two states at once, a property called superposition.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
Besides there being less interference than at radio waves, optical and infrared lasers also support quantum encryption — what's known as QKD, or quantum key distribution, in which the key to encrypting the data is encoded into the quantum superposition of the photons.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
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Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 8 Oct. 2025
This combination of quantization, superposition and entanglement is what gives quantum computers their power.
—Eli Levenson-Falk, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike classical bits, qubits can exist in two states at once, a property called superposition.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
Besides there being less interference than at radio waves, optical and infrared lasers also support quantum encryption — what's known as QKD, or quantum key distribution, in which the key to encrypting the data is encoded into the quantum superposition of the photons.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superposition
Cite this Entry
“Superposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superposition. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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