Choicest

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɔɪsəst/

Definitions

1. Being of the finest quality or most carefully selected among others
2. Representing the very best or most desirable in a group or category
3. Characterized by superior excellence and chosen with great care

Etymology: The surprise here is that "choicest" descends from two strands that merged. "Choice" in English came from Old French "chois," itself from "choisir" ("to choose"), which traces back through a Germanic verb to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning the same thing. But English already had its own word: Old English "ċīes," meaning "choice, dainty, nice," which was related to the Old English verb "ċēosan" ("to choose"). The two words eventually merged in Middle English, so the modern noun carries both an imported French sense and a native English one. "Choicest" is simply the superlative of "choice," formed by adding the ending "-est" to the adjective, meaning "finest of all." The adjective sense of "choice" in the sense of "excellent" grew naturally out of the noun, since what is chosen with care is usually the best of what is available.

Synonyms: best, finest, superlative, optimal, premier

Antonyms: worst, poorest, least, inferior, substandard