lowest-priced
UK[ˈləʊɪst ˈpraɪst]US[ˈloʊɪst ˈpraɪst]
adj
having the lowest cost or price among a group of items or services
Morpheme Breakdown
low
est
price
ed
low
inferior position
est
superlative suffix
price
cost
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'lowest-priced' is a modern english compound adjective, meticulously constructed from core germanic and latinate elements to express a precise commercial concept. its first component, 'lowest', derives from the old english adjective 'low', which originally meant a hill or mound but semantically shifted to denote humble position or small amount, combined with the native germanic superlative suffix '-est' to denote the extreme degree. the second component, 'priced', originates from the latin 'pretium' (price, value), which entered english via old french, and is modified by the adjectival suffix '-ed'. the hyphenated fusion of these two independently formed superlative and participial elements creates a transparent, analytical term that literally means "having the most low price," directly serving the need for clear comparison in marketing and economics.
Analysis
Structure: low (inferior position) + est (superlative suffix) + price (cost) + ed (adjective suffix)
- low: from old english 'hlaw' (a hill, mound) and later 'hlæw' (low in position), of germanic origin; related to dutch 'laag' and german 'niedrig'. functions as the base adjective.
- est: from old english '-est', '-ost', '-ust', a superlative suffix used to form the superlative degree of adjectives and some adverbs.
- price: from old french 'pris', from latin 'pretium' (value, reward); functions as the noun root.
- ed: from old english '-ed', '-od', '-ad', a suffix forming adjectives from nouns or verbs, indicating possession of a quality.
Examples
this model is the lowest-priced option in the new car lineup.
retailers often use the lowest-priced item as a loss leader to attract customers.
the survey identified the lowest-priced neighborhoods for renting an apartment.