Reichsten

Reichsten is not a standalone noun but the superlative inflection of the German adjective reich, meaning wealthy or abundant. It expresses the highest degree of wealth or abundance when the adjective modifies a noun, as in die reichsten Länder der Welt or die reichsten Menschen. The form reichsten is used in plural contexts after definite articles or other determiners in the noun phrase. In the singular, after a definite article, the corresponding form is reichste (der reichste Mann, die reichste Frau). The adverbial superlative is am reichsten, as in Sie ist am reichsten von allen.

Usage notes emphasize that reichsten describes wealth, resources, or abundance. It can reference financial wealth or a high level of prosperity in non-economic senses, such as reichsten Ressourcen or reichste Gegebenheiten. The word often appears in comparative discussions of income, economic power, or regional wealth, and it can be contrasted with antonyms like arm or mittellos and with synonyms such as wohlhabend or vermögend.

Etymology traces reich to Old High German rih and Proto-Germanic rīkaz, related to the English word rich and historically connected to concepts of power and prosperity. The modern superlative form reichsten reflects standard German adjective inflection after determiners in the plural.

See also: reich, reichlich, wohlhabend.