SuaviloquyToday’s word

supersede

Supersede, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Superseded; p. pr. & vb. n. Superseding.]

Etymology: [L. supersedere, supersessum, to sit above, be superior to, forbear, omit; super above + sedere to sit: cf. F. superséder. See Sit, and cf. Surcease.]

1. To come, or be placed, in the room of; to replace.

2. To displace, or set aside, and put another in place of; as, to supersede an officer.

3. To make void, inefficacious, or useless, by superior power, or by coming in the place of; to set aside; to render unnecessary; to suspend; to stay. Nothing is supposed that can supersede the known laws of natural motion. Bentley.

4. (Old Law)

1 more senses

To omit; to forbear.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for supersede; he lists it under subvert.

Where he writes about it:

To supersede implies the putting of something that is wisely or unwisely preferred in the place of that which is removed; to subvert does not imply substitution. — from subvert