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

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

In a quantum computer, however, the "transistors" remain in a superposition of 0 and 1 …

—Philip Yam

Examples of superposition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Quantum computers use qubits, which leverage the principle of superposition to exist in multiple states simultaneously. —Jason Snyder, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

But how will space-time warp if the object itself is in a superposition of two locations? —Anil Ananthaswamy, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2024

The quantum property of superposition essentially lets the ball be everywhere at once at the start of the operation. —IEEE Spectrum, 26 Nov. 2013

While classical computers use bits to process information as 0s and 1s, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in superposition. —Sandy Carter, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above