Why is fluorine the most electronegative element?

Fluorine is the most electronegative element because of its extreme ability to attract electrons, which is fundamentally linked to its position in the periodic table and its physical characteristics.12

Specifically, fluorine’s high electronegativity is attributed to the small size of its atoms. As a nonmetal located at the top right of the periodic table, fluorine possesses a small atomic radius, which allows its nucleus to exert a strong attractive force on shared electrons in a chemical bond.132

This property is a key factor in its status as the most reactive chemical element. Because it holds its electrons so tightly and strongly attracts others, fluorine does not give up its electrons to other elements, which is why it is the only halogen that does not form compounds with positive oxidation states.13