Which is the cheaper of the two?
is it correct or it should be
Which is the cheapest of the two?
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Yes it is correct. Purists would insist that superlatives like cheapest are correct only if there are three or more choices.– Anton SherwoodCommented Oct 30, 2019 at 5:17
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1Thank you for your help.– user104017Commented Oct 30, 2019 at 6:11
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But, sadly, the comparative form is in steep decline in everyday English - more especially on radio & TV.– Ronald SoleCommented Oct 30, 2019 at 9:45
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1 Answer
Cheaper is a comparative adjective, whereas cheapest is a superlative adjective. (From the google definitions).
As you've already ascertained, they both essentially mean the same thing:
low in price, in relation to similar items or services.
A superlative adjective is an adjective in the extreme comparison. Superlative adjectives allow the writer to take the comparison of nouns to the highest or lowest limits of the quality being compared. As @Anton already mentioned, these are strictly meant for 3 or more nouns (although this is often not followed rigorously).
A comparative adjective is used to compare differences between the two objects it modifies.
