Superlativ

The superlativ, or superlative, is the grammatical degree used to express the highest quality of a property within a group. It is the third degree of comparison, following the positive (the basic form) and the comparative. In a sentence, the superlative marks the extreme position of the attribute among all members under consideration.

Formation of the superlative varies by language. In analytic languages such as English, it is often formed with a periphrastic construction using most, or by a synthetic ending such as -est for short, common adjectives. Examples: tall, taller, tallest; beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. Some adjectives have irregular superlatives, such as good, better, best; bad, worse, worst. In German and several other Germanic languages, the superlative is typically formed with a dedicated suffix, frequently with umlaut changes, and it is declined to agree with gender, number, and case: groß → größer → größte; am größten. In many Slavic languages, the superlative uses a specific derivational strategy or a separate determiner meaning “the most.”

Usage of the superlative describes one member of a set as having the highest degree of the attribute and is often accompanied by definite determiners or demonstratives: the tallest building, the most expensive option. It can also function as an adverb: He ran the fastest. Irregulars, periphrastic forms, and language-specific rules illustrate the variety of ways languages realize this degree of comparison.

See also: Positiv, Komparativ, sprachspezifische Formen.