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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
The big-picture, keep-it-simple characteristics of this market moment are easy enough to recite like self-help maxims: Inflation continues to retreat more quickly than the economy has slowed.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024
Here is another useful maxim: Sometimes less is more.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Unfortunately, adhering to that maxim in the era of Trump is a recipe for political suicide.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2024
There is an emerging maxim that the only liberal Harris skeptics are the terminally online.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 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 25 Dec. 2024.
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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