maven
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of maven
1960–65; < Yiddish < Hebrew: connoisseur
Explanation
Whether it's in fashion, or food, or forensic science, someone who really knows his stuff about a topic is a maven, or a person particularly skilled in the field. The word maven comes from the Yiddish meyvn, meaning "one who understands." But to be a maven you have to more than just understand a topic, you have to know its ins and outs. Often mavens are the people that you turn to as experts in a field. You don't become a maven overnight. That kind of expertise comes with an accumulation of knowledge over the years.
Vocabulary lists containing maven
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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More English Words Derived from Yiddish
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The Tipping Point
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Palantir’s AI-driven defense and surveillance software has faced scrutiny around how tech like its Maven Smart System may have been used to target civilians in the Iran war.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
Once collected, platforms, such as Palantir’s Maven, standardize, tag and score all the data, linking it to identities across devices and accounts.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
For many months, Anthropic’s Claude models were some of the only tools available in classified settings through the data-mining company Palantir Technologies, which offers AI tools to the military through its platform Maven.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Alphabet unit Google previously backed out of a military partnership using its AI products, called Project Maven, after an employee backlash in 2018.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
The word Maven comes from the Yiddish, and it means one who accumulates knowledge.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
