Spätestmöglichen

Spätestmöglichen is a German attributive adjective meaning the latest possible or latest permissible moment or deadline. It is formed from the adjectives spät (late) and möglich (possible) and is used to describe a noun that designates a deadline, date, or point in time. The expression emphasizes that nothing later than the described moment should be chosen or accepted.

In usage, spätestmöglichen often appears in formal or administrative contexts, such as contracts, schedules, and official instructions. It is typically inflected to agree with the noun it modifies, for example: den spätestmöglichen Termin (masculine, accusative), das spätestmögliche Datum (neuter, nominative/accusative), or dem spätestmöglichen Zeitpunkt (masculine neuter in dative). Common collocations include bis zum spätestmöglichen Zeitpunkt, bis zum spätestmöglichen Termin, and das spätestmögliche Datum.

Etymologically, the term reflects German compound formation and the standard rules for attributive adjectives. The exact ending of spätestmöglichen varies with gender, case, and article, but the core meaning remains the same: it denotes the final point that is still permissible within given constraints. It is the opposite of frühestmöglich, the earliest possible, and is often used to describe limits within which decisions or actions must be taken.

See also: frühestmöglich, Zeitpunkt, Termin, Datum.