Strong G2903κράτιστος
excellent
- Transliteration
- kratistos
- Pronunciation
- krat'-is-tos
- Morphology
- Greek Adjective
Definition
Superlative of a derivative of G2904; strongest that is (in dignity) very honorable: - most excellent (noble).
Detailed definition
κράτιστος, -η, -ον
superl, of κρατύς (Hom.),
1. strongest, mightiest (Hom.).
2. noblest, best (cf. κρείσσων), most excellent (find., Soph., al.): voc., κρατίστε, as title of honour and respect (DCG, ii, 727a), Luk.1:3, Act.23:26 24:3 26:25.†
(AS)
superl, of κρατύς (Hom.),
1. strongest, mightiest (Hom.).
2. noblest, best (cf. κρείσσων), most excellent (find., Soph., al.): voc., κρατίστε, as title of honour and respect (DCG, ii, 727a), Luk.1:3, Act.23:26 24:3 26:25.†
(AS)
In the Bible
Strong G2903 appears in 4 verses of the KJV.
Translated in the KJV by
- excellent2
- noble2
First verses
- Luke 1:3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
- Acts 23:26Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
- Acts 24:3We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
- Acts 26:25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
Occurrences by book
Related words
Word family
Detailed Greek dictionary
κρᾰτιστ-ος, η, ον,
Epic dialect κάρτ- (as always in [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus), isolated Superl. from κρατύς)], strongest, mightiest, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ph.” 3: in Prose, εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 7.67)]; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, [Refs ([prev\. author] 5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ.)] the strength or flower of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Cyr.” 6.1.28)], etc.; of things, καρτίστην.. μάχην fiercest fight, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 6.185; δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locrian dialect 99a)].
2 generally, best, most excellent, as superlative of ἀγαθός, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “I.” 1.17, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ant.” 1050, etc.: colloquially, ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών Theophrastus Philosophus [{4-3rd c.BC}] “Characteres” 5.2)]; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “HG” 7.1.42, see at {ἀγαθός} 1; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας [prev. work] 3.4.20.)]
2.b as a title or mode of address, [NT (κράτιστε Θεόφιλε NT.Luke.1.3)]; especially = Latin egregius, [Refs 1st c.AD+ (ὁ κ. ἡγεμών “PFay.” p.33 (1st c.AD); ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος “BGU” 891 (2nd c.AD); ἡ κ.)], of a woman of the equester ordo, [Refs (Inscriptiones Graecae 14. 1346; also, =)] Latin clarissimus, of Senators, ὁ κ. ἀνθὐπατος [Refs 3rd c.AD+ ([prev. work]9(1).61; ὁ κ. συγκλητικός “IGRom.” 3.581, etc.; ἡ κ. βουλή “POxy.” 2108.6 (3rd c.AD).)]
2.c with modal words added, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (κ. τὴν ψυχήν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.40)]; πάντων πάντα κ. best of all in.., [Refs 6th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “An.” 1.9.2; ἔν τινι [prev\. author] “Mem.” 3.4.5; εἴς τι Plato Philosophus [{5-6th c.BC}] “Philebus” 67b; περί τι [prev\. author] “Plt.” 257a; πρός τι Xenophon Historicus [{5-6th c.BC}] “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 3.4.16)]: with infinitive, best at doing, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.81, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phdr.” 267d, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Mem.” 1.4.1)], etc.: with participle, [Refs (τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων [prev\. author] “Cyr.” 1.3.15)].
3 neuter followed by infinitive, φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 12.120, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “El.” 379, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Eq.” 80, etc.: in _plural_, κράτιστα.. ἑλεῖν 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Med.” 384)]: absolutely, ὅπερ κ. the main point, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.143.)]
4 adverb usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, [Refs 2nd c.BC+ (2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 8.17.4; κατὰ τὸ κ. 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis 2.22)]: neuter plural κράτιστα as adverb, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “HG” 3.4.16, “Ages.” 1.25.)] —The _comparative_ in use is κρείσσων (which see).
Epic dialect κάρτ- (as always in [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus), isolated Superl. from κρατύς)], strongest, mightiest, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ph.” 3: in Prose, εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 7.67)]; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, [Refs ([prev\. author] 5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ.)] the strength or flower of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Cyr.” 6.1.28)], etc.; of things, καρτίστην.. μάχην fiercest fight, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 6.185; δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locrian dialect 99a)].
2 generally, best, most excellent, as superlative of ἀγαθός, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “I.” 1.17, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ant.” 1050, etc.: colloquially, ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών Theophrastus Philosophus [{4-3rd c.BC}] “Characteres” 5.2)]; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “HG” 7.1.42, see at {ἀγαθός} 1; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας [prev. work] 3.4.20.)]
2.b as a title or mode of address, [NT (κράτιστε Θεόφιλε NT.Luke.1.3)]; especially = Latin egregius, [Refs 1st c.AD+ (ὁ κ. ἡγεμών “PFay.” p.33 (1st c.AD); ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος “BGU” 891 (2nd c.AD); ἡ κ.)], of a woman of the equester ordo, [Refs (Inscriptiones Graecae 14. 1346; also, =)] Latin clarissimus, of Senators, ὁ κ. ἀνθὐπατος [Refs 3rd c.AD+ ([prev. work]9(1).61; ὁ κ. συγκλητικός “IGRom.” 3.581, etc.; ἡ κ. βουλή “POxy.” 2108.6 (3rd c.AD).)]
2.c with modal words added, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (κ. τὴν ψυχήν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.40)]; πάντων πάντα κ. best of all in.., [Refs 6th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “An.” 1.9.2; ἔν τινι [prev\. author] “Mem.” 3.4.5; εἴς τι Plato Philosophus [{5-6th c.BC}] “Philebus” 67b; περί τι [prev\. author] “Plt.” 257a; πρός τι Xenophon Historicus [{5-6th c.BC}] “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 3.4.16)]: with infinitive, best at doing, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.81, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phdr.” 267d, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Mem.” 1.4.1)], etc.: with participle, [Refs (τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων [prev\. author] “Cyr.” 1.3.15)].
3 neuter followed by infinitive, φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 12.120, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “El.” 379, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Eq.” 80, etc.: in _plural_, κράτιστα.. ἑλεῖν 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Med.” 384)]: absolutely, ὅπερ κ. the main point, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.143.)]
4 adverb usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, [Refs 2nd c.BC+ (2nd c.BC: Polybius Historicus 8.17.4; κατὰ τὸ κ. 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis 2.22)]: neuter plural κράτιστα as adverb, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “HG” 3.4.16, “Ages.” 1.25.)] —The _comparative_ in use is κρείσσων (which see).