Related Searches
Nearby Words
Synonyms

maxim

 [mak-sim]   Example Sentences Origin

max·im

   [mak-sim]
noun
1.
an expression of a general truth or principle, especially an aphoristic or sententious one: the maxims of La Rochefoucauld.
2.
a principle or rule of conduct.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English maxime ≪ Medieval Latin maxima (orig. in phrase maxima prōpositiō axiom, literally, greatest proposition), noun use of feminine of Latin maximus, superlative of magnus great; see much

Can be confused: adage, aphorism, apothegm, axiom, maxim, proverb.

Synonyms
1. aphorism, saying, adage, apothegm. See proverb.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Maxim is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Just say 'no' is a good maxim sometimes.
  • It is a maxim of old that among themselves all things are common to friends.
  • The old maxim, "A poor settlement is better than a good lawsuit," still contains wisdom.
EXPAND
Dictionary.com Unabridged

Max·im

   [mak-sim; for 4 also Fr. mak-seem, Russ. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To maxim
Collins
World English Dictionary
maxim (ˈmæksɪm)
 
—n
a brief expression of a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct
 
[C15: via French from Medieval Latin, from maxima, in the phrase maxima prōpositio basic axiom (literally: greatest proposition); see maximum]

Maxim (ˈmæksɪm)
 
—n
Sir Hiram Stevens. 1840--1916, British inventor of the first automatic machine gun (1884), born in the US

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

maxim
"precept, principle," 1426, from M.Fr. maxime, from L.L. maxima, usually in maxima propositio "axiom," lit. "greatest premise," fem. of maximus "greatest" (see maximum).
EXPAND

Maxim
single-barreled, water-cooled machine gun, 1885, named for inventor, U.S.-born British engineer Sir Hiram S. Maxim (1840-1916).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT