A noun meaning the highest degree or most extreme form of a quality within a category. It is used in grammar to denote the top form of an adjective or adverb, or in general language to signify excellence or the ultimate example. It can also describe something that surpasses all others in merit or significance. The term often appears in evaluative contexts or formal classifications.
"1) She is the superlative example of professionalism in the team."
"2) In the experiment, their method produced superlative results compared with all prior attempts."
"3) The award recognizes the superlative design and functionality of the device."
"4) When ranking the cities, this exemplar rose to the superlative position in every category."
Superlative comes from the Latin superlativus, meaning ‘exceeding, surpassing,’ formed from the combination of super- (‘above’) and the adjective-locative suffix -lativus. The root is related to super, Latin for ‘above,’ and the suffix -ativus which constructs adjectives indicating tendency or capacity. In Latin grammar, the term referred to the extreme degree of comparison, especially in adjectives and adverbs, used to express the highest quality. The English adoption retains that sense, with ‘superlative’ as both a noun and an adjective (as in “the superlative form” or “the superlative degree”). By the 16th century, it entered English scholarly and rhetorical usage to denote the apex of quality or merit, often in evaluative prose or critical discourse. Over time, it broadened to reference a category where one item stands at the top, and it appears across education, linguistics, and design discourse as a label for peak excellence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Superlative" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Superlative"
-ive sounds
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US/UK/AU pronunciation centers the stress on the third syllable: su-PER-la-tive. IPA: US /ˌsu.pɚˈlæt.ɪv/, UK /ˌsu.pəˈlæt.ɪv/, AU /ˌsuː.pəˈlæt.ɪv/. Begin with /su/ as a long 'oo' sound, then /p/ with a released stop, then /ɚ/ or /ə/ in unstressed syllables, and stress the 'la' phoneme cluster /ˈlæt/. The final /ɪv/ is a quick, light ending. Audio reference: you can hear standard realizations in major dictionary recordings.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress on the first or second syllable (you should stress the third: su-pER-la-tive); (2) mispronouncing the middle vowel as /ə/ or /ɪ/ inconsistently; keep /ˈlæt/ as the core instead of a lax /lət/; (3) skipping the final -ive as /ɪv/ or /ɪəl/; keep it crisp /-ɪv/. Correct by practicing the full four-syllable rhythm and linking the /ˈlæt/ with a light, unstressed /ɪv/.
US tends to rhotically reduce in unstressed syllables and pronounce /ɚ/ as a schwa in ‘super-’, with clear /læt/ syllable stress; UK and AU share non-rhotic tendencies in many speakers; UK may show a shorter /ə/ in the second syllable and a crisper /læt/; Australian tends toward vowel merging in unstressed syllables but keeps the main stress on the third syllable. IPA cues: US /ˌsu.pɚˈlæt.ɪv/, UK /ˌsu.pəˈlæt.ɪv/, AU /ˌsu.pəˈlæt.ɪv/.
The difficulty lies in coordinating a multi-syllabic stress pattern and the mid-word vowel /ə/ or /ɚ/ in the second syllable, plus the cluster /læt/ with a crisp, released /t/ before the final /ɪv/. Learners often flatten the stress or reduce the /ɫ/ to a softer sound. Focus on maintaining clear consonant separation and a strong third-syllable stress, with a brief, controlled final /ɪv/.
No, all letters contribute to sound in standard pronunciation. The letters correspond to four syllables: /su/ /pɚ/ /læt/ /ɪv/. Some speakers may reduce /pɚ/ to /pɚ/ with a schwa; the 'e' at the end is not silent in this common pronunciation. The key is not syllable omission but maintaining the secondary stress and precise vowel qualities in /ˈlæt/ and /ɪv/.
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