Dictionary

maven en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmeɪv(ə)n/ (General-American)
• māvən (General-American)
• /ˈmeɪvn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Yiddish מבֿין (meyvn, “connoisseur, expert, know-it-all”), from Hebrew מֵבִין (mevín, “one who understands, connoisseur, expert”), from הֵבִין (hevín, “to understand”). The word is said to have been popularized by its use in an advertising campaign for Vita Herring launched in the United States in 1964, which had a character called the “beloved [herring] maven” promoting the product.

Meanings

1. (US) An expert in a given field; also, a person who is interested in and knowledgeable about a particular activity or thing; an aficionado.
   • Connectors know people—lots of people. Mavens know about things. They know, or find out first, what is going on. Connectors, says [Malcolm] Gladwell, need mavens to tell them what to buzz about. 2003, Joseph H. Boyett, Jimmie T. Boyett, “All You Need is Buzz”, in The Guru Guide to Marketing: A Concise Guide to the Best Ideas from Today’s Top Marketers, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 207:
   • Besides an executive sponsor, you need to find a technology maven, someone within the company who understands the new technology. A maven, as defined in Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, is a person who has both information and the social skills to pass it along. The challenge in a situation such as this one is that the maven might be outside of IT. 2006 January 23, Virginia Robbins, “Opinion: Eight Steps to Leadership”, in Dan Tennant, editor, Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management, volume 40, number 4, Framingham, Mass.: Computerworld, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 19, column 2:
   • The goal for any media company is to be a maven—and therefore highly adept at using multiple channels of social media communication well. 2010, Rachel Davis Mersey, “Paying for It All”, in Can Journalism Be Saved?: Rediscovering America’s Appetite for News, Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, part 3 (A New Model of Journalism), page 118:

Forms

Antonyms

apprentice · tyro · probationer · bun · recruit · new chum · pup · nub · greener · newfriend · newbie · fledgling · first-timer · noob · FNG · alphabetarian · Johnny-come-lately · trainee · novitiate · greenhorn · tyrone · homo novus · neophyte · nubcake · newfag · amateur · freshman · newcomer · younker · nozzer · newbro · beginner · inceptor · rookie · abecedarian · n00b · tenderfoot · stranger · probie · initiate · learner · probationist · newb · colt · newling · puny · fresh meat · novice · greenie

Deriveds

webmaven · mavenry · mavenhood

Synonyms

old hand · whiz · expert · old soldier · wiz · old stager · buff · cognoscente · connoisseur · ace · dab · past master · don hand · master · Jedi Master · veteran · maven · crackerjack · top gun · dab hand · artist · dabster · adept · proficient · crack hand · wizard

Translations (54)

pt entendido (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ru знато́к (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fr virtuose (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ru экспе́рт (expert in a given field — see also expert) · es entendido (expert in a given field — see also expert) · mk зна́лец (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs znalkyně (expert in a given field — see also expert) · de Kennerin (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fi ekspertti (expert in a given field — see also expert) · es perito (expert in a given field — see also expert) · es entendida (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ru до́ка (expert in a given field — see also expert) · mk е́ксперт (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fr spécialiste (expert in a given field — see also expert) · gl experto (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ru специали́ст (expert in a given field — see also expert) · tr mütehassıs (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs odbornice (expert in a given field — see also expert) · pt entendida (expert in a given field — see also expert) · pt experta (expert in a given field — see also expert) · nl zelf-benoemde expert (expert in a given field — see also expert) · az sərraf (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs expertka (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs odborník (expert in a given field — see also expert) · bg специалистка (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fi asiantuntija (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ru специали́стка (expert in a given field — see also expert) · hu tudor (expert in a given field — see also expert) · pt experto (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ar خَبِير (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fr connaisseur (expert in a given field — see also expert) · bg експерт (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fi tuntija (expert in a given field — see also expert) · bg вещо лице (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ca experta (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs znalec (expert in a given field — see also expert) · he מבֿין (expert in a given field — see also expert) · mk ма́хер (expert in a given field — see also expert) · nl zelf-benoemde specialist (expert in a given field — see also expert) · de Kenner (expert in a given field — see also expert) · yi מבֿין (expert in a given field — see also expert) · it intenditore (expert in a given field — see also expert) · de Expertin (expert in a given field — see also expert) · fr connaisseuse (expert in a given field — see also expert) · cs expert (expert in a given field — see also expert) · hu hóhem (expert in a given field — see also expert) · bg специалист (expert in a given field — see also expert) · tr uzman (expert in a given field — see also expert) · hu szakértő (expert in a given field — see also expert) · it intenditrice (expert in a given field — see also expert) · bg познавач (expert in a given field — see also expert) · de Experte (expert in a given field — see also expert) · ca experto (expert in a given field — see also expert) · gl experta (expert in a given field — see also expert)