maxim

¹

[mak-sim]

noun

1. an expression of a general truth or principle, especially an aphoristic or sententious one.

   the maxims of La Rochefoucauld.

   Synonyms: apothegm, adage, saying, aphorism

2. a principle or rule of conduct.

Maxim

²

[mak-sim, mak-seem, muh-ksyeem]

noun

1. Hiram Percy, 1869–1936, U.S. inventor.

2. his father Sir Hiram Stevens, 1840–1916, English inventor, born in the U.S.: inventor of the Maxim gun.

3. Hudson, 1853–1927, U.S. inventor and explosives expert (brother of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim).

4. a male given name, form of Maximilian.

Maxim

¹

/ ˈmæksɪm /

noun

1. Sir Hiram Stevens. 1840–1916, British inventor of the first automatic machine gun (1884), born in the US

maxim

²

/ ˈmæksɪm /

noun

1. a brief expression of a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct

Word History and Origins

Origin of maxim¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English maxime ultimately from Medieval Latin maxima (originally in the phrase maxima prōpositiō “axiom,” literally, “greatest proposition”), noun use of feminine of Latin maximus, superlative of magnus “great”; much

Word History and Origins

Origin of maxim¹

C15: via French from Medieval Latin, from maxima, in the phrase maxima prōpositio basic axiom (literally: greatest proposition); see _maximum

Synonym Study

See proverb.

Example Sentences

He hears him, Bridge: the maxims, the strategies.

From Los Angeles Times

Gray was still in university and had been living according to the maxim that time outside was best spent being active.

From Salon

It also neatly illustrates the maxim, attributed to the Soviet Union's World War Two leader Joseph Stalin, that "quantity has a quality of its own."

From BBC

Winston Churchill once quipped, “The maxim, ‘Nothing prevails but perfection,’ may be spelled P-A-R-A-L-Y-S-I-S.”

From Los Angeles Times

He lived by the maxim that "a hot curry or a paracetamol" would cure all ailments - and "if that didn't work you, you just got on with it," according to his daughter, Tracy Fisher.

From BBC

Related Words

• adage 
• aphorism 
• axiom 
• dictum 
• motto 
• proverb 
• theorem 

When To Use

What is a maxim?

A maxim is a principle or guiding rule.A maxim is a rule, principle, or helpful guide that leads to a general truth, such as “Actions speak louder than words” and “Strive for greatness.”Different fields of philosophy develop many rules or guiding principles based on the founder of that philosophy’s studies. These will often be called maxims and will be attributed to that founder, such as Confucious’s maxims, Marx’s maxims, and Voltaire’s maxims.Maxim also describes a written or understood rule of conduct, as discussed within an organization. For example, a science lab may discuss a maxim of always keeping goggles on in certain areas of the lab.Example: My aunt, who was a short woman, often quoted the maxim “good things come in small packages.”