A superlative adjective marks the top of the scale: "tallest", "highest", "bravest", or with emphasis "very high", "most brave".
Can recognize Superlatives recognition in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Cicerō was the most famous orator.
It is very easy to criticize what belongs to others.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
A superlative adjective marks the top of the scale: "tallest", "highest", "bravest", or with emphasis "very high", "most brave". Latin signals it with the ending -issimus (feminine -issima, neuter -issimum) added to the adjective stem. Once you know this ending, the most emphatic words in a passage light up.
| Plain | Superlative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| altus (high) | altissimus | highest, very high |
| longus (long) | longissimus | longest |
| clarus (famous) | clarissimus | most famous |
| fortis (brave) | fortissimus | bravest |
Examples:
A couple of adjectives whose stem ends in -r double the r instead: pulcher (beautiful) gives pulcherrimus (most beautiful), and facilis (easy) gives facillimus (easiest). These are worth memorizing as they come up.
For English speakers: the trap is choosing between "the ...est" and "very ...". English forces you to pick, and Latin leaves it open: altissimus can be "the highest" (a real comparison of several) or simply "very high" (strong praise with nothing compared). Let the context decide. Do not look for a separate "most" or "very": the whole meaning sits in the -issimus ending.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesCicerō was the most famous orator.
Clarissimus is the superlative in -issimus. It can also mean simply 'very famous', with no comparison implied.
It is very easy to criticize what belongs to others.
Adjectives in -ilis form the superlative in -limus, not -issimus. There is only a short list of them.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises