maximal
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of, relating to, or achieving a maximum; being the greatest or best possible
-
maths (of a member of an ordered set) being preceded, in order, by all other members of the set
Other Word Forms
- maximally adverb
- postmaximal adjective
- submaximal adjective
Etymology
Origin of maximal
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.
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 • Jan. 13, 2026
The Swedish pop sensation has also been behind a make-up trend focused on maximal, glam "Y2K" looks, and that's something Lauren remembers fondly from 2016.
From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026
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 • Oct. 10, 2025
He does not engage in the sort of maximal resistance that other places did.
From Salon • Aug. 16, 2024
The problem, you realize, is that while you have been raised to speak quietly and little, the notions of where you come from and who you are need a maximal approach.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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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.