κρᾰτιστ-ος, η, ον,
κάρτ- (as always in Hom.),
1. isolated Superl. from κρατύς, strongest, mightiest, Il. 1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. Pi. O. 14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, S. Ph. 3: in Prose, εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν Th. 7.67; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, Id. 5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ. the strength or flower of.., X. Cyr. 6.1.28, etc.; of things, καρτίστην.. μάχην fiercest fight, Il. 6.185; δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locr. 99a.
2. generally, best, most excellent, as Sup. of ἀγαθός, Pi. I. 1.17, S. Ant. 1050, etc.: colloquially, "" ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών Thphr. Char. 5.2; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, X. HG 7.1.42, v. ἀγαθός 1; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας ib. 3.4.20. as a title or mode of address, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε [Luk 1:3]; esp. = Lat. egregius, ὁ κ. ἡγεμών PFay. p.33 (i A.D.); ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος BGU 891 (ii A.D.); ἡ κ., of a woman of the equester ordo, IG 14. 1346; also, = Lat. clarissimus, of Senators, ὁ κ. ἀνθὐπατος ib.9(1).61; ὁ κ. συγκλητικός IGRom. 3.581, etc.; ἡ κ. βουλή POxy. 2108.6 (iii A. D.). with modal words added, κ. τὴν ψυχήν Th. 2.40; πάντων πάντα κ. best of all in.., X. An. 1.9.2; ἔν τινι Id. Mem. 3.4.5; εἴς τι Pl. Phlb. 67b; περί τι Id. Plt. 257a; πρός τι X. HG 3.4.16: c. inf., best at doing, Th. 2.81, Pl. Phdr. 267d, X. Mem. 1.4.1, etc.: c. part., τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων Id. Cyr. 1.3.15.
3. neut. folld. by inf., φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, Od. 12.120, cf. E. El. 379, Ar. Eq. 80, etc.: in pl., κράτιστα.. ἑλεῖν E. Med. 384: abs., ὅπερ κ. the main point, Th. 1.143.
4. Adv. usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, Plb. 8.17.4; κατὰ τὸ κ. D.H. 2.22: neut. pl. κράτιστα as Adv., X. HG 3.4.16, Ages. 1.25. - The Comp. in use is κρείσσων (q.v.).
G2903 — κράτιστος
κρατίστη, κράτιστον, superlative of the adjective κρατύς (κράτος) (from (Homer) Pindar down), mightiest, strongest, noblest, most illustrious, best, most excellent: vocative κράτιστε used in addressing men of conspicuous rank or office, [Act 23:26]; [Act 24:3]; [Act 26:25], (Otto, De ep. ad Diognetum etc. Jena 1845, p. 79ff, and in his Epist. ad Diognet. Leips. edition, p. 53f, has brought together examples from later writings). Perhaps also it served simply to express friendship in [Luk 1:3] (as in Theophrastus, char. 5; Dionysius Halicarnassus, de oratt. 1; Josephus, Antiquities 4, 6, 8), because in [Act 1:1] it is omitted in addressing the same person. Cf. Grimm in Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. for 1871, p. 50f.
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]; [Act 24:3]; [Act 26:25]. †