supervene

verb

ˌsü-pər-ˈvēn How to pronounce supervene (audio)
Definition of supervenenext
as in to follow
to come after in time it was not the slow-spreading cancer that caused his death but a supervening heart attack

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supervene different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of supervene are ensue, follow, and succeed. While all these words mean "to come after something or someone," supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable.

unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

When could ensue be used to replace supervene?

In some situations, the words ensue and supervene are roughly equivalent. However, ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development.

after the talk a general discussion ensued

In what contexts can follow take the place of supervene?

While the synonyms follow and supervene are close in meaning, follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence.

speeches followed the dinner

When is succeed a more appropriate choice than supervene?

Although the words succeed and supervene have much in common, succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.

she succeeded her father as head of the business

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of supervene The reaction One aftereffect Stanley likely did not forecast was the supervening middle-school bullying. —Scott Hocker, theweek, 8 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supervene
  1. follow
  2. succeed
  3. replace
Verb
  • According to reports from Variety and the BBC, the Sin City actor, 72, agreed on Saturday, April 21, to exit the show following a disagreement between himself and fellow housemate Chris Hughes.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The two-out homer was followed by a Jonathan Aranda single and a fly ball smashed off the bat of Christopher Morel that Harris hauled in with a leaping, twisting catch in front of the center-field wall.
    — David O'Brien, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of follow
Verb
  • But El Salvador’s crackdown on gang violence succeeded in large part because the country’s police had spent years carefully amassing legal evidence.
    — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The endeavor succeeded and eventually became known as Shift4.
    — Wendy Whitman Cobb, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of succeed
Verb
  • In a 2022 article in Daedalus, Erik Brynjolfsson argued that today’s key challenge is steering A.I. development toward augmenting the efforts of human workers rather than replacing them.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • After four races, the reigning world champion accounts for all but two of Red Bull’s 71 points, with Yuki Tsunoda, who replaced Liam Lawson after the Chinese Grand Prix, scoring the other two on Sunday.
    — Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of replace

Browse Nearby Words

supertaxes
supervene
supervened
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Cite this Entry

“Supervene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supervene. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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