maximalist

[mak-suh-muh-list]

noun

1. a person who favors a radical and immediate approach to the achievement of a set of goals or the completion of a program.

Maximalist

¹

/ ˈmæksɪməlɪst /

noun

1. a member of the radical faction of Social Revolutionaries that supported terrorism against the tsarist regime and advocated a short period of postrevolutionary working-class dictatorship

2. a less common name for a Bolshevik

maximalist

²

/ ˈmæksɪməlɪst /

noun

1. a person who favours direct action to achieve all his goals and rejects compromise

Word History and Origins

Origin of maximalist¹

< Russian maksimalíst, coinage originally applied in 1906 to an extreme splinter group of the Russian Socialist-Revolutionary party; maximal, -ist

Word History and Origins

Origin of maximalist¹

C20: from French, a translation of Russian; see _Bolshevik

Example Sentences

I call it a maximalist martini because it’s extra dirty, olives and a twist.

From Los Angeles Times

Fans expecting a return to the maximalist pop of Red and 1989 might be surprised.

From BBC

The move at the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state torches that policy, declaring to the world that savagery and maximalist rejectionism are the currency of international legitimacy.

From Los Angeles Times

Russia is insisting on maximalist demands that Ukraine cannot agree to, which include control over territory it hasn’t managed to occupy.

From Los Angeles Times

Each staircase is a maximalist’s dream as almost every inch of the wall is lined with displayed garments, framed memorabilia and an illustrated edition of “The Timeline of World Costume.”

From Los Angeles Times