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1
: a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct
Mother's favorite maxim was "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
2
: a proverbial saying
advised her daughter with the maxim "marry in haste, repent at leisure"
Synonyms
Examples of maxim in a Sentence
it's a common maxim that “a watched pot never boils,” but that's not literally true
Recent Examples on the Web
As the footballing maxim goes, Diego Carlos often played to the level of the opponent.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Christie’s 20th century evening sale on Tuesday, which totaled $486 million with a sell through rate of 92 percent by value and 83 percent by lot, certainly proved that maxim true.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Nov. 2024
This maxim holds just as true in cyber security as in sports.
—Phillimon Zongo, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
There’s the old maxim that country music more than any other genre is about storytelling.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
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Word History
Dictionary Entries Near maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
maxim
noun
max·im
ˌmak-səm
1
: a general truth or rule of conduct
2
: a proverbial saying
Biographical Definition
Maxim 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Max·im
ˈmak-səm
Sir Hiram Stevens 1840–1916 British (American-born) inventor
Maxim
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Hudson 1853–1927 brother of Hiram Maxim American inventor
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