superlative degree
- noun
- /suːˈpɜːr.lə.tɪv dɪˈɡriː/
- Specialized
:
grado superlativo
- In the sentence 'She is the smartest student in the class,' 'smartest' is in the superlative degree.
Examples
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The superlative degree of 'fast' is 'fastest'.
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The superlative degree of 'good' is 'best.'
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When describing three or more items, we often use the superlative degree to highlight the most extreme option.
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In English, the superlative degree is often formed with 'most'.
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In the sentence 'She is the smartest student in the class,' 'smartest' is a clear example of the superlative degree.
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The superlative degree of the adjective 'happy' is 'happiest', indicating the highest level of happiness.
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To emphasize excellence, we use the superlative degree; for instance, 'Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.'
Synonyms
1
3.7
A word form used to compare three or more things showing the most of a quality
How Comparative
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'superlative' indicates the highest degree and 'degree' denotes an amount or extent, so together they straightforwardly mean the highest or most extreme form of an adjective/adverb. This grammatical concept (comparative/superlative degree) is cross-linguistically common and follows standard morphology (-est, most), making it immediately inferable for learners who know both words.
Etymology
Superlative degree comes from an old word meaning 'above' or 'highest'. Think of it as pointing to the top of a list: adding -est or the word most names the one thing that is 'the most' in a group, so the term means 'the highest' form of an adjective or adverb.