Superficial means touching only the surface. Superficial damage, a superficial reading, superficial wounds.
In medicine it is a neutral technical term meaning near the surface: superficial burns, superficial veins. Everywhere else it is a criticism — a superficial analysis, a superficial person — meaning it goes no deeper than appearances. Superficially is a useful hedge meaning at first glance: superficially similar. Note that superficial resemblance is a standing phrase in science writing for things that look alike and are not related.
1adjectivesuperficialTouching only the surface.
“Luckily, the cut on his head was only superficial.”
2adjectivedeeperGoing no deeper than appearances.
“Their friendship was superficial; they only ever talked about the weather.”
superficial is a quality of surfaces.
Also accepted in games: shallow
The Latin facies is a face, the same face you already have. Superficial means skin-deep: touching only the face of a thing, never what is underneath it.
hooks ontoface
Latin superficialis comes from superficies, a surface — super, above, plus facies, a face. Something superficial is above the face of a thing rather than inside it.
Latin
superficiālis — of or belonging to the surface
English, today
superficial
Borrowing from Latin superficiālis (“of or belonging to the surface”), from superficiēs + -ālis.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Sharper Adjectives