maximize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to increase to the greatest possible amount or degree.
to look for ways of maximizing profit.
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to represent at the highest possible estimate; magnify.
He maximized his importance in the program, minimizing the contributions of the other participants.
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to make the greatest or fullest use of.
Maximize your time by planning ahead.
verb
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(tr) to make as high or great as possible; increase to a maximum
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maths to find the maximum of (a function)
Other Word Forms
- maximation noun
- maximization noun
- maximizer noun
Etymology
Origin of maximize
Explanation
When you maximize something, you make it as big as you possibly can, the way you would maximize your chances of winning the lottery if you spent all of your money on lottery tickets. It seems like you come across the word maximize most often in dry, boring contexts like businesses trying to "maximize" their profits or a politician wanting to "maximize" her government's potential. Regular people probably use it more often when they're talking about their computers, to mean "display a window at its largest size." When you maximize a window on your computer, you can actually see what the word means!
Vocabulary lists containing maximize
Scrabble: High Scoring Words
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20 Common Words That Will Boost Your Scrabble Score
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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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.
Its lawyers do not represent a client seeking to maximize wins.
From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026
To maximize efficacy, Lilly is investigating pairing it with tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Maximize the heartening and heartrending, and you’ll stand to maximize the viewer’s compassion, too.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Pro gambler James Holzhauer in 2019 rattled “Jeopardy!” traditionalists by hopping around the board to maximize his money.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
His goal, he explained, was to maximize the dollars in his care.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
