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
There is an emerging maxim that the only liberal Harris skeptics are the terminally online.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Seems silly to say it that way, but that maxim helps describe some of the ways that power and contact interact in the game of baseball.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 16 Apr. 2024
Biden just doesn’t seem to understand a maxim of all performative endeavors, including politics: the greatest know when to cede the stage.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
Bickerstaff’s comment captures an integral maxim of sports: process over results.
—Mat Issa, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Seems silly to say it that way, but that maxim helps describe some of the ways that power and contact interact in the game of baseball.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 16 Apr. 2024
Biden just doesn’t seem to understand a maxim of all performative endeavors, including politics: the greatest know when to cede the stage.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
Bickerstaff’s comment captures an integral maxim of sports: process over results.
—Mat Issa, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for maxim
Dictionary Entries Near maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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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