ENGLISH
REFERENCE

greatest

adj.
A2 Elementary US //ˈɡɹeɪtəst// UK //ɡɹˈeɪtəst// great·est

adj. the best or most important of its kind. You use this to describe something that is better than everything else in a group.

adj. the superlative form of 'great', indicating the highest degree of quality, importance, or size. Often used to denote preeminence in a specific field or category.


SIMPLE

She is the greatest tennis player in history.

CONTEXTUAL

The museum houses the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the entire country.

COMPLEX

Historians often debate which leader faced the greatest challenges during the transition to democracy, as each era presented unique social and economic pressures.

Synonyms
Usage

Superlative form; almost always preceded by the definite article 'the'.

Pitfall

the most greatestthe greatestGreatest is already a superlative; adding 'most' creates a double superlative error.

Idioms1 entry

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