maximalist

[ mak-suh-muh-list ]

/ ˈmæk sə mə lɪst /

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noun

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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Origin of maximalist

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

Words nearby maximalist

maxillofacial, maxim, maxima, maximal, maximal ideal, maximalist, Maxim gun, Maximilian, Maximilian armor, Maximilian I, Maximilian II

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use maximalist in a sentence

On precarious terrain, go for a snug, secure fit and a firm yet flexible sole that gives you the confidence to dance over and around trail obstacles, rather than a plush maximalist sponge or a heavy boot-like shoe.
The Best New Running Shoe for Every Type of Trail|jbeverly|January 13, 2022|Outside Online
Then there’s the maximalist camp that believes the best way to make self-driving cars reliable enough to sell is to equip them with as much data as possible.
The last major obstacle to cracking the code on self-driving cars|Nicolás Rivero|December 23, 2021|Quartz
Instead, health officials take a maximalist approach and, in essence, vaccinate everyone.
The Tricky Math of Herd Immunity for COVID-19|Kevin Hartnett|June 30, 2020|Quanta Magazine
First, he argued that they could ban anyone who doesn't agree with a maximalist notion of secure borders.
'Is It Good For The Jews?' Is Not The Question|Shany Mor|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST

As the world watches and urges rational talks, the two parties dig in and make maximalist, incendiary statements.
Fiscal Cliff Stalemate Needs Two-Party Solution|Daniel Gross|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Listen to the violent rhetoric pushing maximalist goals and demonizing Israel.
The IDF Track Record|Gil Troy|November 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Norman was the very antithesis of minimalism—he was a maximalist.
Joyce Carol Oates Salutes Norman Mailer|Joyce Carol Oates|October 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The maximalist goal is to apply enough economic pressure to incite domestic revolution and the fall of the regime.
Iran Sanctions: What's the Mission?|David Frum|October 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
On July 18, 1917, there was a sudden outburst of Maximalist activity, the most violent which had yet occurred.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for maximalist (1 of 2)

maximalist

/ (ˈmæksɪməlɪst) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for maximalist (2 of 2)

Maximalist

/ (ˈmæksɪməlɪst) /

noun (in early 20th-century Russia)

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

a less common name for a Bolshevik

Compare Minimalist

Word Origin for Maximalist

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012