superlative adjective
- noun
- /suːˈpɜːrlətɪv ˈædʒɛktɪv/
- Specialized
:
adjetivo superlativo
- The teacher explained that a superlative adjective is necessary when comparing three or more students in the class.
Examples
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When describing her vacation, she used the superlative adjective to express how much fun it was compared to previous trips.
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Behavioral questions use superlative adjectives for several reasons.
Academic text (1999) -
In the contest, the judges awarded the superlative adjective for the highest quality to the best performer.
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
3.7
A form of a word that shows more of a quality, often made with -er or with more
How Comparative
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'superlative' denotes the highest degree and 'adjective' denotes a descriptive word, so together they clearly mean an adjective expressing the highest degree. This grammatical naming pattern is common across languages and follows standard English morphology, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the meaning.
Etymology
Superlative adjective is a name that comes from an old word meaning 'highest'. A superlative shows the top degree and an adjective describes something, so together the name means the form that calls one thing the 'most' of a quality among three or more.