Phrase guide

superlative degree

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb used when comparing three or more entities in terms of a certain property or a certain way of doing something. In English, the superlative of superiority is formed by adding the suffix -est or the word most (e.g. biggest, most fully); the superlative of inferiority, by adding the word least (e.g. least big, least fully).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: superlative

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: degree of comparison

2

noun

Meaning 2

the superlative form of an adjective or adverb

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `fastest' is the superlative of the adjective `fast'
  • `least famous' is the superlative degree of the adjective `famous'
  • `most surely' is the superlative of the adverb `surely'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: superlative

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adjective, adverb

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: shkalla sipërore — degree of comparison
  • Arabic: دَرَجَة فَائِقَة (daraja fāʔiqa) — degree of comparison
  • Azerbaijani: üstünlük dərəcəsi — degree of comparison
  • Breton: derez-uhelañ — degree of comparison
  • Chinese Mandarin: 最高級 /最高级 (zuìgāojí) — degree of comparison
  • Dutch: overtreffende trap — degree of comparison
  • Finnish: superlatiivi — degree of comparison
  • French: superlatif — degree of comparison
  • Georgian: აღმატებითი ხარისხი (aɣmaṭebiti xarisxi) — degree of comparison
  • German: Superlativ — degree of comparison
  • Greek: υπερθετικός βαθμός (yperthetikós vathmós) — degree of comparison
  • Hungarian: felsőfok — degree of comparison
  • Icelandic: efsta stig — degree of comparison
  • Irish: sárchéim — degree of comparison
  • Italian: superlativo — degree of comparison
  • Japanese: 最上級 (saijōkyū) — degree of comparison
  • Korean: 최상급 (choesanggeup) — degree of comparison
  • Persian: صفت برترین (sefat-e bartarin) — degree of comparison
  • Polish: stopień najwyższy — degree of comparison
  • Portuguese: grau superlativo — degree of comparison
  • Romanian: grad superlativ — degree of comparison
  • Romanian: superlativ — degree of comparison
  • Russian: превосхо́дная сте́пень (prevosxódnaja stépenʹ) — degree of comparison
  • Russian: суперляти́в (superljatív) — degree of comparison
  • Slovak: superlatív — degree of comparison
  • Slovak: tretí stupeň — degree of comparison
  • Slovene: preséžnik — degree of comparison
  • Tagalog: pasukdol — degree of comparison
  • Vietnamese: cấp cao nhất — degree of comparison
  • Welsh: gradd eithaf — degree of comparison