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

• postmaximal
  adjective
• submaximal
  adjective
• maximally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of maximal

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

Explanation

Maximal means the greatest, best, or largest amount of something. The maximal speed of your friend's junky car might be forty miles per hour. The adjective maximal is the opposite of the more common minimal. Your idea of sleeping in maximal comfort might include a soft comforter and lots of pillows, and you might try, when you're running on a treadmill, to get your heartbeat to its maximal rate for several minutes. Maximal has a Latin root, maximus, or "greatest," which in turn comes from magnus, "great or large."