Noun

Singular superlative

Plural superlatives

superlative (plural superlatives)

1. The highest extent or degree of something.
2. (grammar) The form of an adjective that expresses which of more than two items has the highest degree of the quality expressed by the adjective; in English, formed by appending "-est" to the end of the adjective (for some short adjectives only) or putting "most" before it.

   The superlative of "big" is "biggest"

3. (informal) An adjective used to praise something exceptional.

   Lincoln is amazing, wonderful, fantastic, and many other superlatives I can’t think of right now!

Synonyms

• (highest degree): acme, peak

Related terms

• superlative degree

In grammar, the superlative of an adjective or adverb is the greatest form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context.

Some grammarians object to the use of the superlative or comparative with words such as full, complete, unique, or empty, which by definition already denote either a totality, an absence, or an absolute. However, such words are routinely and frequently qualified in contemporary speech and writing. This type of usage conveys more of a figurative than a literal meaning, since in a strictly literal sense, something cannot be more or less unique or empty to a greater or lesser degree. For example, in the phrase "most complete selection of wines in the Midwest," "most complete" doesn't mean "closest to having all elements represented", it merely connotes a well-rounded, relatively extensive selection. Browsing the Internet with some of the best known search engines for "more complete" or "most complete" establishes the frequency of this usage with millions of examples. Nonetheless, frequency of usage is an extremely debatable criterion for correctness. In formal writing, particularly scientific or legal, incorrect use of superlatives is a grave error.

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