bedeutendsten

Bedeutendsten is the superlative form of the German adjective bedeutsam, meaning significant or important. It is used attributively before plural nouns to indicate the most significance within a group, often in lists, rankings, or evaluative statements. Examples include die bedeutendsten Erfindungen des 19. Jahrhunderts or die bedeutendsten Wissenschaftler der Universität.

In plural usage the form bedeutetsten occurs after definite or possessive determiners, as in die bedeutendsten Ereignisse or meine bedeutendsten Erfahrungen. When the adjective stands without a determiner or with other declension patterns, different endings can appear, but bedeutendsten is the standard plural superlative form in common usage with determiners.

Bedeutendsten may appear in adverbial or evaluative constructions, but such uses are comparatively rare; the typical pattern remains attributive before a noun phrase. The word emphasizes rank and importance rather than mere frequency or size.

Etymology and sense: bedeutend derives from bedeuten, meaning to signify or to denote significance; the adjective earned its current sense of “significant” over time. The superlative suffix -sten forms the equivalent of “the most significant.” The term is common in academic, journalistic, and formal prose when distinguishing items by importance or impact.

See also: bedeutsam, bedeutend, wichtig, Wichtigkeit.