Erwachsensten

Erwachsensten is the superlative form of the German adjective erwachsen, meaning most grown-up or most mature. It is used to describe the highest degree of adulthood or maturity within a group of people or things.

In grammar, erwachsensten can appear in attributive position or in predicative/phrase form. Attributively, it declines like a regular strong adjective: der erwachsenste Mann, die erwachsenste Frau, das erwachsenste Kind; in the plural: die erwachsensten Männer, die erwachsensten Frauen. Predicatively, it can be used with the adverbial construction am: er wirkt am erwachsensten, Sie scheinen am erwachsensten in der Gruppe zu sein. The form without am is less common and usually occurs in more formal or literary contexts.

Etymology and nuance: the adjective derives from er- in combination with wachsen (to grow), yielding a sense of having reached full maturity. The term emphasizes behavioral or social maturity rather than mere age and is often used for emphasis or humor. In everyday language, more common alternatives for age or maturity are reif, älter or reifer; am erwachsensten is typically found in comparative or rhetorical contexts rather than in neutral description.

See also: German grammar, adjectives and their forms, comparative and superlative usage, maturity and age language.