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Prepositions after adjectives

Supreme: which preposition follows it?

Supreme is commonly followed by in, over, or among. Other prepositions may appear in separate sentence structures rather than as fixed combinations with the adjective.

Quick answer

Most common uses of supreme

Use supreme in for excellence within an area and supreme over for authority or control. Supreme on, supreme for, and supreme to are not standard fixed combinations after the adjective.

She is supreme in strategic planning.
The court is supreme over all lower courts.
He remained supreme in his field for decades.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
supreme in + field

Excellence within an area

Use supreme in to describe the highest level of skill, quality, or status in a particular field.

The company is supreme in mobile security.
She became supreme in classical dance.
2
supreme over + people or territory

Authority or control

Use supreme over when talking about power, rule, or control.

The emperor was supreme over the region.
Civil law is supreme over local regulations.
3
supreme among + group

Highest position within a group

Use among to compare someone or something with others in the same category.

Her reputation is supreme among modern architects.
This wine ranks supreme among local products.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
supreme in
They are supreme in medical research.
highest or best within a field or activity
supreme over
The king was supreme over the islands.
having authority or control
supreme on
Supreme on this issue is not a standard combination.
on is usually an unrelated adjunct, not the normal complement of supreme
supreme for
Supreme for leadership is not idiomatic current English.
for is generally not used directly after supreme
supreme to
Supreme to others is nonstandard in modern English.
to is not normally selected by supreme

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using on after supreme

On can introduce a topic, but it is not the usual complement after supreme.

✕ The team is supreme on technology. ✓ The team is supreme in technology.

Using for after supreme

For does not normally follow supreme as a fixed adjective pattern.

✕ She is supreme for design. ✓ She is supreme in design.

Confusing excellence and authority

Use in for skill or quality and over for control.

✕ The ruler was supreme in the country. ✓ The ruler was supreme over the country.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She became supreme ___ international chess.
2. The constitution is supreme ___ regional laws.
3. Which phrase is standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say supreme over someone?

Yes. Supreme over is used for authority, power, or control.

Is supreme on correct?

Not usually as a fixed adjective pattern. Use supreme in for excellence.

What is the difference between supreme in and supreme over?

Supreme in refers to being the best in a field, while supreme over refers to having authority or dominance.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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