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
Recent Examples on the Web
Next Slide Interference When qubits in a state of superposition interact, this is called interference.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 22 Jan. 2025
Qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a phenomenon known as superposition.
—Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
In particular, the team point out that the search through a superposition of states on a Bloch Sphere is mathematically similar to Grover’s quantum search algorithm, one of the simplest and most powerful quantum algorithms and one which is dramatically faster than classical algorithms.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2024
In quantum mechanics, for instance, a particle exists in a superposition of all possible states at once—until, that is, someone tries to make a measurement of it.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2024
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Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 22 Jan. 2025
Qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a phenomenon known as superposition.
—Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
In particular, the team point out that the search through a superposition of states on a Bloch Sphere is mathematically similar to Grover’s quantum search algorithm, one of the simplest and most powerful quantum algorithms and one which is dramatically faster than classical algorithms.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2024
In quantum mechanics, for instance, a particle exists in a superposition of all possible states at once—until, that is, someone tries to make a measurement of it.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for superposition
Cite this Entry
“Superposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superposition. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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