maximal

American  

[mak-suh-muhl] / ˈmæk sə məl /

adjective

1. of or being a maximum; greatest possible; highest.

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maximal British  

/ ˈmæksɪməl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or achieving a maximum; being the greatest or best possible

2. maths (of a member of an ordered set) being preceded, in order, by all other members of the set

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Other Word Forms

• maximally adverb
• postmaximal adjective
• submaximal adjective

Etymology

Origin of maximal

First recorded in 1880–85; maxim(um) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Maybe it’s the attendant pressure to capitalize—to self-promote and monetize the moment for maximal impact.

From The Wall Street Journal

But that moment of maximal British-American political parallel was also, as it happens, the moment when the parallel began to break down.

From Salon

Upon entering, however, you discover that the house is really a sequence of staged sensations in which detail has been fine-tuned for maximal theatrical effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to the study, "excessive heat, with maximal temperatures exceeding 40°C, can reduce colony populations by impairing the thermoregulation of brood or by exposing adults to temperatures that shorten their lifespans."

From Science Daily

They align with long-standing American taste preferences, ones that are resurfacing in a moment of maximal nostalgia.

From Salon