oberster

Oberster is a German term meaning "supreme" or "highest." It functions chiefly as a superlative adjective formed from the stem ober- meaning upper, and it is used to denote the top rank or level of a person, body, or object within a hierarchy. In everyday language, it appears before masculine or mixed-gender nouns in the nominative or accusative case, as in der oberste Richter (the highest judge) or das oberste Gericht (the supreme court).

In formal and institutional contexts, Oberster commonly appears in compound nouns that designate the highest authority or status. Examples include Oberster Gerichtshof, a phrase used in German-speaking countries to name the supreme court in legal systems, and the broader phraseoberste Behörde to indicate the top governing or administrative body. The form is often capitalized when part of a proper name or title, reflecting standard German orthography for nouns and official designations.

Usage notes emphasize that Oberster agrees with the gender, case, and number of the noun it modifies, and that it most frequently functions within phrases rather than as a standalone noun. While the word is widely used in legal, governmental, and historical contexts to signal highest rank, it is less common in everyday speech outside of fixed expressions or formal titles.

See also: German adjectives and superlatives, the prefix ober- in German, and lists of official titles and court names in German-speaking regions.