Outranking is a term used to describe the act of surpassing or being superior to someone or something else. It is often used in the context of a hierarchical system, such as a business or military organization, where one person or group is outranked by another. The term is composed of two words: 'OVER' and 'ABOVE'. OVER is a preposition meaning 'higher in rank or authority than' while ABOVE is an adverb meaning 'in a higher position than'. Together, these two words form the term outranking, which describes the act of surpassing or being superior to someone or something else.