2.124 superlatives as headwords

Superlative adjectives are sometimes used as headwords in fairly formal English. When you use a superlative adjective as a headword, you put 'the' in front of it, and follow it with 'of' and a noun group which refers to the things being compared. When superlative adjectives are used as headwords they can refer to one thing or to more than one.

• They are often too poor to buy or rent even the cheapest of houses.
• He made several important discoveries. The most interesting of these came from an examination of an old manuscript.
• There are three types of ant-eater. The smallest lives entirely in trees.

If it is clear what you are talking about, you can omit 'of' and the following noun group.

• The oldest memories always last the longest.