best
/bɛst/
adjective
Origin
Old English
betst — the most good
Overview
Meaning Now
- of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality.
- the superlative form of 'good'.
Literal older meaning
the most good
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
betst
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word 'best' evolved from the Germanic root 'bat-', which meant 'to be useful or good'. It is the irregular superlative of 'better', which itself is the comparative form of 'good'.
Evolution
- Old English
betst
“the most good”
Superlative of 'bet' (good).
- Middle English
best
“the best”
Spelling stabilized as the standard superlative.
Connections
Word parts
bet
root
good
-st
suffix
superlative marker
Related across languages
German
beste
the best
Dutch
best
Explore next
Related to best
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.