Utterest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The highest possible degree or level of a characteristic denotes the utmost extent of that quality in a particular situation
2. This term represents the most complete or extreme form of an attribute, reaching the fullest measure of its essence
3. The term refers to the supreme limit of a quality, indicating its most intense form in a given context

Etymology: "Utterest" is the superlative of "utter", the adjective meaning complete, total, or absolute. The base word "utter" is itself an adjective formed from the Old English "ūtera", meaning "outer", which came from "ūt", "out". So the root idea is something located further out, and the sense of "outermost" gradually turned into "entire" or "unqualified", as in an utter fool or utter nonsense. Adding "-est" to form the superlative gives the word its meaning of the most complete or extreme degree of that quality. It is a regular formation, so there is no separate history for the suffix beyond the familiar English superlative ending attached to a native adjective.

Synonyms: absolute, complete, total

Antonyms: partial, incomplete