maxim

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmæksɪm/ UK /ˈmæksɪm/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a short pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct

He lived by the maxim that honesty is the best policy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a short pithy statement... adage aphorism axiom proverb saying precept

Word family

Related forms maximal maximum

Etymology

From Middle French maxime, from Medieval Latin maxima (prōpositiō) ('greatest premise'), feminine of Latin maximus ('greatest'). A pithy statement of a general truth or rule of conduct.

maxima Latin maximus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

# maxim

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈmæksɪm
**IPA (UK):** ˈmæksɪm

## Meanings
1. a short pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct

## Examples
- He lived by the maxim that honesty is the best policy.

## Synonyms
- adage
- aphorism
- axiom
- proverb
- saying
- precept

## Related Forms
- maximal
- maximum

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: maxima
- Root: maximus

## Etymology
From Middle French maxime, from Medieval Latin maxima (prōpositiō) ('greatest premise'), feminine of Latin maximus ('greatest'). A pithy statement of a general truth or rule of conduct.

## AI Etymology
Maxim comes from Middle French maxime, from Medieval Latin maxima (prōpositiō) ('greatest premise'), feminine of Latin maximus ('greatest'). A pithy statement of a general truth or rule of conduct. The form preserves a compact historical development in which the older wording and the present sense remain closely connected. As a noun, it denotes "a short pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin maxima and Latin maximus. Related words include maximal, maximum.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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