Gebräuchlichsten

Gebräuchlichsten is the superlative form of the German adjective gebräuchlich, which means common, customary, or widely used. The word is used to identify the most typical or prevalent option within a specified set or context. As a superlative, gebräuchlichsten appears in attributive position before the noun (for example, die gebräuchlichsten Formen) and follows the normal adjective endings for number, gender, and case.

Morphology and usage notes: gebräuchlich is an adjective formed from Gebrauchen (use) with the suffix -lich. Its comparative form is gebräuchlicher, and the superlative is gebräuchlichsten in plural contexts or in certain fixed phrases (such as Zu den gebräuchlichsten Methoden gehören …). In the standard attributive use, the ending -sten marks the superlative and agrees with the plural noun it modifies.

Semantic scope: The term is neutral and widely applicable across domains, including linguistics, writing, and everyday language. It denotes frequency, normality, or conventionality without judgment, contrasting with antonyms like ungewöhnlich or selten.

Examples:

- Zu den gebräuchlichsten Abkürzungen gehören z. B. und v. a.

- Die gebräuchlichsten Schreibweisen variieren je nach Stilhandbuch.

- In der deutschen Rechtschreibung gehören die gebräuchlichsten Regeln zu den Grundlagen des Lehrplans.

Related terms: gebräuchlich (base form), gängig, üblich, verbreitet. The adverbial superlative uses am gebräuchlichsten, e.g., Am gebräuchlichsten ist die Form X.

See also: Gebrauchsformen, Gebrauchsnorm, Sprachgebrauch.