supervene: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2formal, academic, literary
Quick answer
What does “supervene” mean?
to occur as an unexpected or additional development, often following something else and changing the situation.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to occur as an unexpected or additional development, often following something else and changing the situation
to happen unexpectedly after something else has already happened, usually modifying or complicating the original situation; to follow closely upon something, especially as a consequence or interruption
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage between British and American English
Connotations
Slightly more common in British legal and medical writing, but equally formal in both varieties
Frequency
Very low frequency in both varieties, primarily used in specialized academic, legal, medical, and philosophical contexts
Grammar
How to Use “supervene” in a Sentence
[event] supervenes on/upon [situation][circumstance] supervenes[something] supervenedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “supervene” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Complications may supervene if the infection isn't treated promptly.
- A financial crisis supervened, altering all our plans.
American English
- Legal issues could supervene if contracts aren't reviewed carefully.
- Unexpected events supervened, requiring immediate attention.
adverb
British English
- The situation developed superveningly, catching everyone off guard.
- Events unfolded superveningly rather than as predicted.
American English
- Changes occurred superveningly, without warning.
- The crisis emerged superveningly during negotiations.
adjective
British English
- The supervening circumstances forced a complete reassessment.
- No supervening events altered the original agreement.
American English
- Supervening factors complicated the research findings.
- The court considered all supervening developments in the case.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; occasionally in risk assessment: 'Market volatility supervened, forcing us to revise our projections.'
Academic
Common in philosophy, medicine, law: 'Mental states are said to supervene on physical states.'
Everyday
Extremely rare; would sound overly formal in casual conversation
Technical
Medical: 'Secondary infections may supervene in immunocompromised patients.' Legal: 'New evidence supervened during the trial.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “supervene”
- Using instead of 'happen' or 'occur' without the sequential element
- Confusing with 'supervise' or 'superior'
- Using in informal contexts where simpler words would be appropriate
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Supervene' means to occur as an additional development after something else, while 'intervene' means to come between, often to prevent or alter something.
No, it's a formal, academic word primarily used in specialized fields like philosophy, law, and medicine.
No, it's typically intransitive or used with 'on/upon' (e.g., 'Events supervened on the original situation').
From Latin 'supervenire', from 'super-' (over, above) + 'venire' (to come), meaning 'to come upon, come over'.
to occur as an unexpected or additional development, often following something else and changing the situation.
Supervene is usually formal, academic, literary in register.
Supervene: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsuːpəˈviːn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsuːpərˈviːn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “supervene upon”
- “nothing supervened to change”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SUPER' + 'VENE' (as in 'convene' or 'intervene') → Something SUPER important INTERVENES unexpectedly.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAYERS ADDED TO EXISTING STRUCTURE (something layers on top of an existing situation)
Practice
Quiz
Which context most appropriately uses 'supervene'?