Uppermost

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈʌpəməʊst/

Definitions

1. At the highest point within a spatial arrangement, indicating the greatest level of importance in a particular context, and occupying the topmost position within a given structure
2. Situated at the very top of something ; holding the greatest significance or priority
3. Occupying the uppermost physical place in a structure or space ; being of the utmost importance or prominence

Etymology: "Uppermost" is a compound built from "upper" and the superlative suffix "-most." The "-most" ending comes from Old English "-mest," a superlative marker that appears in words like "foremost," "inmost," and "utmost," and that is itself related to the "-most" in "most." Stacking it on "upper" produces a superlative of a superlative: "upper" already means higher, and "uppermost" marks the highest point of all. The word developed in Middle English as "upper-moste," and the two parts were eventually fused into the single form used today. The pattern is a common one in English, where "-most" was attached to directional and positional words to pick out the extreme member of a set, so "innermost" marks the furthest inside and "outermost" the furthest outside.

Synonyms: highest, topmost, supreme, foremost, paramount

Antonyms: lowest, bottommost