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

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

From Salon

For this is experiential at its most maximal.

From Los Angeles Times

His own style, which is to say his mind, was compulsively metaphorical, gorgeously maximal, enough so to make him worry about “an implicit marvelling at myself as expressor.”

From The Wall Street Journal

By Sunday afternoon, his legs were inflicting maximal damage.

From The Wall Street Journal

For Riley, “In C” launched a maximal musical journey and one of the most remarkable in American music.

From Los Angeles Times