What does narrowest mean?
Narrowest is the superlative form of the adjective narrow. It describes something that has less width than any other member of a group, making it the least spacious, tightest, or most constrained option. In physical contexts, it may refer to the smallest gap, passage, margin, or stretch of water. It can also describe abstract limits: the narrowest interpretation of a rule has the fewest possible applications, while the narrowest available choice leaves the least freedom or opportunity. The word is common in both formal and informal English and often carries a slightly emphatic quality because it identifies the most restricted case in a comparison. Although narrowest is grammatically an adjective, it is also frequently used as an adverb when describing a path or route, as in “the stream runs narrowest here.”
adjectiveThe superlative of narrow: having the least width or the most limited extent, range, or opportunity.
- Having the smallest width or degree of space.
- Offering the least scope, freedom, or opportunity.
"The narrowest path led through a gap between the cliffs."
"The bridge follows the narrowest course through the mountains."
"This is the narrowest interpretation of the rule, and even it leaves some questions unresolved."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of narrowest
Narrowest is the standard English superlative of narrow, formed by adding -est to the base adjective. Narrow descends from Old English narrow, an inherited Germanic word used for both physical narrowness and restricted extent. The modern form follows the regular English pattern in which many adjectives ending in -w take -est rather than -er and -est.
How narrowest is actually used
As a superlative adjective, it normally follows the noun, as in “the narrowest path,” or occurs in the fixed phrase “the narrowest possible.”