maximal

adjective

max·​i·​mal ˈmak-s(ə-)məl How to pronounce maximal (audio)
1
: being an upper limit : highest
2
: most comprehensive : complete
maximally adverb

Examples of maximal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Glory, the indie star’s bold new LP, takes a bird’s eye view of the themes Mike Hadreas has explore throughout his entire career and broadens them out to the biggest, most maximal versions of themselves. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025 The goldfish exercise helps relax overactive jaw muscles, reduces joint strain, and improves maximal mouth opening by reducing tightness in the temporomandibular joint.4 3. Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2025 The fact that Strickland’s original structure remains standing as the anchor of Philadelphia’s Naval Square community almost 200 years after its construction is a testament to the emphasis on quality care for veterans, even if that meant eschewing maximal efficiency. Made By History, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025 In Appropriate, Jacobs-Jenkins’s plotting involves a little hand-waving — the money involved in a real-estate deal, for instance, comes out just right for maximal discord — and in Purpose, there is a deeper sense of authorial overdetermination. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maximal

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maximal was in 1882

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Cite this Entry

“Maximal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maximal. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

maximal

adjective
max·​i·​mal ˈmak-s(ə-)məl How to pronounce maximal (audio)
1
: being an upper limit : highest
maximal growth
2
: most comprehensive : complete
maximal recovery

Medical Definition

maximal

adjective
max·​i·​mal ˈmak-s(ə-)məl How to pronounce maximal (audio)
1
: most complete or effective
maximal dental protection
maximal vasodilation
2
: being an upper limit
the maximal levels achieved with subcutaneous injectionsW. S. Hoffman
maximally adverb

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