Greeniest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the strongest green color compared to others ; showing the highest degree of concern for and adherence to environmental protection practices
2. Being of the deepest or brightest green shade relative to similar things ; demonstrating a leading commitment to ecological sustainability and conservation
3. Appearing with the richest green hue unlike any other ; exemplifying the greatest effort or quality in preserving and caring for the natural environment

Etymology: "Greeniest" is the superlative of "greeny", which is itself green with the suffix "-y" added, so the word's history is really the history of "green" with a suffix bolted on. Old English "grēne" descends from a Proto-Germanic root shared with words for growing plants, and the same sense of living vegetation runs through the word's oldest uses. The adjective passed through Middle English as "grene" and became modern "green" with its colour sense. The suffix "-y" comes from Old English "-ig", a common device for making adjectives meaning "having the quality of" or "full of" the base word, as in "stony" or "milky". "Greeny" therefore means something like "somewhat green" or "tending toward green", and "greeniest" carries that sense to its extreme, the most green of a set of things. The modern sense of ecological commitment is an extension of the colour sense. "Green" as a colour for nature and conservation gave the word its figurative use, and "greeniest" now often describes the most environmentally responsible option among several.

Synonyms: most green, fresher

Antonyms: driest, wilted