maxim

¹

[ mak-sim ]

noun

1. an expression of a general truth or principle, especially an aphoristic or sententious one:

   the maxims of La Rochefoucauld.

   Synonyms: apothegm, adage, saying, aphorism

2. a principle or rule of conduct.

Maxim

²

[ mak-sim; French mak-seem, Russian muh-ksyeem ]

noun

1. Hiram Percy, 1869–1936, U.S. inventor.
2. his father Sir Hiram Stevens, 1840–1916, English inventor, born in the U.S.: inventor of the Maxim gun.
3. Hudson, 1853–1927, U.S. inventor and explosives expert (brother of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim).
4. a male given name, form of Maximilian.

Maxim

¹

/ ˈmæksɪm /

noun

1. MaximSir Hiram Stevens18401916MBritishUSTECHNOLOGY: inventor Sir Hiram Stevens. 1840–1916, British inventor of the first automatic machine gun (1884), born in the US

maxim

²

/ ˈmæksɪm /

noun

1. a brief expression of a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct

Word History and Origins

Origin of maxim¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English maxime ultimately from Medieval Latin maxima (originally in the phrase maxima prōpositiō “axiom,” literally, “greatest proposition”), noun use of feminine of Latin maximus, superlative of magnus “great”; much

Word History and Origins

Origin of maxim¹

C15: via French from Medieval Latin, from maxima, in the phrase maxima prōpositio basic axiom (literally: greatest proposition); see maximum

Synonym Study

See proverb.

Example Sentences

He took us up to that Art Nouveau museum that was on the top floor of Maxim’s and walked us through his whole private collection.

From Fortune

The first day filming with Cardin involved a sit-down interview inside the restaurant Maxim’s, which is owned by the designer.

From Fortune

Now, it seems some of those CEOs will seek to apply the maxim “never let a good crisis go to waste”.

From Digiday

Leonard Lauder’s often critiqued “lipstick effect,” maxim she added, which suggests that women will buy cosmetics throughout a recession.

From Digiday

The maxim that a company’s customers are its best marketers is truer now than ever before at General Mills.

From Digiday

As the Latin maxim puts it: De gustibus non est disputandum.

From The Daily Beast

He should have stuck to his own maxim: march separately and fight together.

From The Daily Beast

Her book, for example, does not discuss her buzzed-about, scantily clad Maxim photo shoot from last year, and so neither do we.

From The Daily Beast

And now one of the nastiest men in Russia, Maxim Martsinkevich, has been sentenced to five years in prison.

From The Daily Beast

The maxim proved true: Necessity is the mother of invention.

From The Daily Beast

I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.

From Project Gutenberg

And the maxim of laissez faire became the last word of social wisdom.

From Project Gutenberg

"It's dogged as does it," is not only the maxim of agricultural labourers in remote country districts.

From Project Gutenberg

From the earliest days great commanders have rubbed in the maxim, "If you attack, attack with all your force."

From Project Gutenberg

They have a living faith in the potency of the Horse-Guards, and in the maxim that "Safe bind is sure find."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• adage
• aphorism
• axiom
• dictum
• motto
• proverb
• theorem

More About Maxim

What is a maxim?

A maxim is a principle or guiding rule.

A maxim is a rule, principle, or helpful guide that leads to a general truth, such as “Actions speak louder than words” and “Strive for greatness.”

Different fields of philosophy develop many rules or guiding principles based on the founder of that philosophy’s studies. These will often be called maxims and will be attributed to that founder, such as Confucious’s maxims, Marx’s maxims, and Voltaire’s maxims.

Maxim also describes a written or understood rule of conduct, as discussed within an organization. For example, a science lab may discuss a maxim of always keeping goggles on in certain areas of the lab.

Example: My aunt, who was a short woman, often quoted the maxim “good things come in small packages.”

Where does maxim come from?

The first records of the term maxim come from the 1400s. It ultimately comes from the Latin maximus, meaning “great.” The phrase maxima prōpositiō in Medieval Latin means “axiom” or “greatest proposition,” or in other words, “an overall guiding suggestion or rule.”

Maxim is also a given name used in some European nations. One of the most famous Maxims is Henry Stevens Maxim, an inventor who created the first automatic firearm, called the Maxim gun. Maxim can also be used as a nickname or alternate name for the first name Maximillian.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for maxim? 

• adage
• axiom
• saying
• motto
• proverb

What are some words that share a root or word element with maxim? 

• max
• maximum
• maximus

What are some words that often get used in discussing maxim?

• common
• guiding
• life

How is maxim used in real life?

Many people are willing to freely share their maxims for living life, even if they don’t actually follow them.

General maxim: if you’re attacking young people, you’re losing.

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) December 9, 2018

The proper maxim for living in society is not 'love your neighbor'. It's 'respect your neighbor'. 😈

— Mark Pellegrino (@MarkRPellegrino) March 27, 2017

Increase the amount of useful information in the world. That's the maxim I learned while working for @maddow. That's what she did tonight.

— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) March 15, 2017

 

Try using maxim!

Is maxim used correctly in the following sentence?

My maxim for living life is not to blindly follow other peoples’ maxims.