superficiel

superficial, shallow

adjective soo-per-fee-SYEL Rare

Origin: From Latin 'superficialis' (of the surface).

Usage Note

Superficiel describes a person, analysis, or wound that lacks depth. The feminine is superficielle. Its antonym is approfondi (thorough). Applied to a wound, it means the injury is not deep — une blessure superficielle — which is distinct from the pejorative social use.

Examples

"Son analyse du problème est trop superficielle."

Natural Translation

His analysis of the problem is too superficial.

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