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.
Lenny Kaye was the kind of cool, level-headed rock ‘n’ roll maven who was both important to and part of our history.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The classic value thesis is out-of-favor, low-multiple stocks rerating,” explains value investing maven Tobias Carlisle, founder of Acquirers Funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
New York University professor and valuation maven Aswath Damodaran values SpaceX at about $1.3 trillion, or $99 a share.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Many investors wonder what they will do without Howard Silverblatt, a markets data maven, now that he is retired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
Where one style maven saw UFO’s, another saw UFOs.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
