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• maximalist
  maximalist

  noun

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

  noun

  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

maximalist

American  

[mak-suh-muh-list] / ˈmæk sə mə lɪst /

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.

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Maximalist ¹ British  

/ 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

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maximalist ² British  

/ ˈmæksɪməlɪst /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of maximalist

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

Explanation

A maximalist is someone who thinks things should be done in the biggest and boldest way possible. In politics, maximalists demand major changes, usually with the goal of ending capitalism. Political maximalists believe in doing whatever is needed to obtain a goal. For Marxists, that means taking the necessary steps to achieve socialism — even a revolutionary overthrow of the current government. A less radical maximalist might endorse fighting for several major social changes immediately, without compromise. The term comes from this push to achieve the maximum amount of political objectives, rather than settling for the minimum. You can also use it to describe a busy, colorful, cluttered decorating style.

Example Sentences

So the overall frame was comedy, but I kind of have quite a maximalist sensibility.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

I am not even an anti-A.I. maximalist and have found these and dozens more examples to be annoying.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

“I think both Washington and Tehran are still trying to achieve maximalist aims or something close to it through the negotiating process that they weren’t able to achieve in the war itself,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

A maximalist, grown-up riff on seven-layer dip: smoky chorizo, creamy beans, sweet corn and tangy crema stacked into something closer to a full meal than a snack.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

In the past, the former New York property magnate has often trumpeted a negotiating style that relies on maximalist positions in order to extract more from a deal.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026